If Only
by dsfeo78
Summary: What would Jane's life (and the lives of everyone else) be like if just one thing from her past had happened differently? (Longer A/N explains this plot better). An AU Rizzles story that explores the consequences of actions taken or not taken in life.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N So I have a new story for you all. This is a bit different from my previous stories. It's definitely a Rizzles story. There will definitely be drama and intrigue (and let's face it it's me so there will be some cliffhangers too). But this is a very, very AU story. I'm going to ask all of you to forget everything you thought you know about Rizzoli and Isles from a cannon standpoint. I hope you will go with me on this- and once you see and understand the plot I think you will get it.**

**I have to write the ideas that get into my head. And this story is where I found myself after a very interesting debate one night with some friends. The conversation was all about whether going back and changing something in your past would really make a big difference or not. The whole "If I could change one thing" debate. **

**Everyone has that 'thing'. Be it a moment. A decision. An action taken or one not taken. A choice. Something that was significant enough in your life where the consequences for just one change could make a major difference. Saying yes instead of no. Going left instead of right. Picking one over the other. **

**Everyone has that one thing that when you let yourself reflect on your life you always pause and think 'If only' you had done something different. Said something different. Chose something different. How might your life be different today?**

**I have a very strong opinion on this topic. One that I will share with you all at the end of all of this. But I wanted to tackle the notion of looking at life if just one thing changed. **

**At the heart of this story is how I see the world of Jane Rizzoli if she made just one different decision in her life. Just one. But it's a crucial one. **

**What would Jane's life be like if she had waited for backup before going after Hoyt that very first time?**

**Clearly this is why I am calling this very AU and why I'm asking you to forget everything you thought you knew about the R&I cannon. I'm taking a lot of liberty but I'm hoping you'll appreciate the idea and my take on how life would progress for Jane, and everyone else she cares about, if one crucial moment in her life, a moment she regrets and had horrible consequences, never happened. **

**We all have that moment we secretly want to change. But have you ever wondered about what the consequences would be if you could actually change it?**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters for this story. They are in the hands of those more capable than I. I merely take that which I adore and try to create something worth reading.**

If Only

Chapter One

Detective Jane Rizzoli and Detective Vince Korsak sat across from each other in the bullpen. They were looking, checking, reading, and rereading everything they had on the case so far. They needed a break. Something to crack the mystery that was the Surgeon. Something to let them have some kind of idea of where Catherine Cordell was. They were running out of time. Catherine was running out of time. And in that moment both partners knew they had nothing.

"Damn it!" Jane sighed with frustration throwing a report back on her desk. "What aren't we seeing?" She looked up desperately hoping her partner was having better luck than she was.

"I've got nothing Jane," Korsak sighed in just as frustrated of a tone as Jane. "There's nothing in these reports that would even start to give us a clue as to where he might be keeping her."

The new Chief Medical Examiner was set to start in two days and Korsak was hoping the new ME could review the medical evidence and find something. Dr. Pike was an incompetent and Vince was sure some answer was contained in the collected evidence if a decent ME could review all the results. But Catherine Cordell didn't have two days to wait for the new ME. She only had a few hours left.

They both shared a glance at each other from across their desks. They both understood the consequences involved if they couldn't get an idea about where the Surgeon was holding Cordell. She had maybe five more hours before she would be dead. Five hours. They had no clue where to even start to look for her.

"I can't look at these reports any longer," Jane announced as she stood up. "I'm going to recheck the crime scene." She knew it was pointless. She had been over every inch of the Cordell house. Twice. So had Korsak. So had the CSRU team. But it was something to do. Some place to go. It wasn't sitting at her desk. It wasn't staring at reports that didn't contain the answers she so desperately needed.

Korsak understood. He was starting to feel the walls closing in on him too. "Alright. If something comes up I'll call you. You do the same."

Jane nodded her agreement as she made her way to the elevator. She needed to get out of the station. She hated not having the answers. A life was on the line and she was failing.

Five bodies already. The sixth was about five hours from happening if the Surgeon stuck to his pattern. He was brutal. He targeted couples. He would enter the home, tie up the husband binding arms and legs together with duct tape. He would kill the husband slitting his throat from ear to ear with surgical precision. The press adopted the name 'Surgeon'. Jane had to admit that the name from the press was fitting. Sick. But fitting.

After killing the husband, the Surgeon would take the wife. He would keep the wife alive for another two days before he would kill her as well. He spent two days raping and torturing them. They never knew where he took the women but he would remove them from their homes. Or where he chose to kill them. Jane just knew he took them somewhere until he tired of them. They would be found dumped somewhere in a public place. And the Surgeon would start the process all over again.

This was the predicament Jane and Korsak found themselves in now. They had found the body of Edgar Cordell two days ago. Throat slit. Limbs duct taped. Dead. Catherine Cordell was nowhere to be found. The clock truly was ticking and she was running out of time.

Jane pulled up to the Cordell house and parked. The house was still surrounded with police caution tape and there was still an officer posted at the front to keep the press at bay. The scene inside had been processed two days ago but the last thing anyone had wanted was pictures from inside the home making their way to the front page of the Boston Herald or the Boston Globe.

"I didn't know you were still on light duty," Jane acknowledged the officer guarding the front of the house.

"One more week. Then I should be released by the stupid doctor," Rodriguez stated. He had broken his ankle in a foot pursuit of a drunken college student two months ago.

"Well, at least this beats sitting at a desk," Jane said with an understanding smile.

"This is true," he nodded. He took in the detective in front of him for a moment. She was very respected on the force. They all knew she was the youngest officer to earn the gold shield and she was the first female homicide detective in Boston PD history. But she was a cop. A good one. And all the guys on the force understood she earned her shield and the promotion to homicide. There were no rumors or stories of her 'sleeping her way' to the top. She had worked her ass off and was an excellent detective. The guys all liked her. "Anything at all on Cordell?"

Jane shook her head. "I'm just missing something. We have no idea where he took her," she didn't hide her frustration or her anger with herself.

Rodriguez looked at Jane again. That, right there, was why she did have the respect of the department. A psychopath and murderer kidnaps a woman and Jane thinks its her fault she hasn't figured out where he is holding her. The woman takes on the responsibility of her cases. It's personal for Jane. Rodriguez believes that's part of the reason she was as good of a detective as she was.

"You'll figure it out. Or he'll slip up. Have faith Detective. Are you going inside?" he asked.

Jane stared at the house and then finally nodded. Rodriguez pulled out the house key from his pocket and handed it to Jane. "Victor 825," she reminded him for the log. She took the key and headed up to the house.

She let herself into the house and walked into the living room. This was where they had found Edgar Cordell. She had logged several hours in this room trying to piece together not so much what happened in the room, as that was obvious, but what the room could tell them about the Surgeon or if any clues were left behind.

She couldn't shake the feeling that she was simply missing something. Somewhere there had to be a clue as to the identity of the Surgeon. They hadn't found DNA even though rape kits from the two female victims were performed. They had nothing they could run through CODIS for a match. They had not recovered any usable prints from any of the three crime scenes. They didn't have anything more than five dead bodies and number six soon to come. Unless Jane could figure out some way to find Cordell.

Jane walked around the room looking about. She was almost willing a clue or an answer to jump out at her. She couldn't help but think there was just something right under their nose that hadn't registered. She felt the answer was there. She just needed to see it.

And then, suddenly she did. Or maybe she did. She reached for her cellphone and dialed a number. "Jackson, it's Rizzoli," she stated excitedly into her phone. "Have you processed all of the prints from the Cordell living room yet?"

"All of the primary cards have been run. I'm just getting started on the secondary cards now," the evidence tech answered.

That was what Jane figured. Given the amount of time that had passed she thought that the secondary location print cards were just now getting started. "Do you have any secondary cards that are labeled 'living room, underside coffee table, left corner'?"

Print cards were labeled according to area location, surface and location on said surface. Jane was staring that the coffee table that was next to the loveseat. She needed to know if the techs took prints on the underside of that table.

"Let me look. Hang on," Jackson understood the clock was ticking for Catherine Cordell too. After about a minute he got back on the phone. "I have four cards labeled for that location," he answered.

"Jackson, I need you to run those priority for me, please!" Jane tried to contain her excitement.

"I'll run them all right now. I'll send the results straight up to you," he replied. He knew if Jane was asking it was for a reason. He would rush the prints through as best he could.

"Thanks! I owe you one!" she disconnected the phone and practically ran out of the house throwing the key at Rodriguez as she ran by.

"Detective?" he tried to ask but Jane was already in her car and headed back to the station.

Jane didn't travel lights and sirens but she ignored every major traffic regulation she could in order to get back to the station as quickly as possible. She tried Korsak's cellphone but it went straight to voicemail. She called it repeatedly as she drove back to the station. The call wasn't going through. He must be in a dead zone. After the fifth attempt she left a voicemail asking him to call her back as soon as he got the message.

She was trying not to get her hopes up too much. The print cards could easily be a dead end. If they were smudged or if they just came back to the Cordell's or the housekeeping staff they wouldn't be helpful. But there was just something that made Jane believe she may have made a significant observation.

She had been standing in front of the couch where Edgar Cordell had been tied up. Today, for the first time, she took a seat on that couch. All the evidence from the couch had now been collected and she was no longer concerned about contaminating the couch with fibers or hairs. That's when she realized it.

In order for Edgar to have been taped and restrained there was a distinct possibility that the killer, the Surgeon, would have had to grab ahold of the coffee table next to the couch. At least once, possibly twice for balance. And if he was in the midst of using the duct tape in that moment he would not yet have on latex gloves. Jane had learned over the years that duct tape and latex gloves never mixed without an issue. If they were lucky, maybe, just maybe the Surgeon didn't wipe the prints off the underneath portion of the coffee table.

Twenty minutes after Jane returned to the station she got the call from Jackson. "Detective, I think we may have something. One of the four cards had a usable print. I matched the print, ring finger of a left hand, to a name."

Jane didn't contain the excitement. "Who?"

"Charles Hoyt," Jackson answered. "I'm sending up the information right now."

"Thanks," Jane said disconnecting the call. A few seconds later a lab tech handed over the file to Jane. She looked at the match information and immediately ran Hoyt's name in the system. Within a few minutes she was looking at some simple biographical information. Hoyt had a criminal history. Assault, B and E, and several arrests for lewd conduct. Jane looked at the details and saw he had been caught several times attempting to have sex with a corpse while attending medical school. He had been expelled from medical school because of the repeat incidents. He was also dishonorably discharged from the Army for conduct unbecoming an officer. Again there was a notation about Hoyt and an incident with a corpse.

Just reading that information made Jane believe she was on the right track. A few more reports kicked out and Jane found information on a property, a house, owned by Hoyt. This could be something. The Surgeon had held the women captive for two days which meant he needed a secure place to keep them and torture them. A house could be such a location. It was at least worth a shot. Jane looked at her watch. Catherine Cordell had less than two hours to live if the Surgeon stuck to his killing pattern. And finally, Jane might have a clue where she could be.

Jane tried Korsak again. Nothing. She had the urge to just head out to the address for the house belonging to Hoyt. Time was of the essence and she couldn't reach her partner. She had her keys in her hand. She could just go check out the house. See if there was anything to the lead. It would be quick. She could easily call for back up if she got there and confirmed there was something going on.

She took one step towards the elevator almost convinced that this was the right thing to do and then she suddenly stopped. Something told her that she needed backup with her even on a cursory visit. So she turned and knocked on the door for her Lieutenant.

"Excuse me, Sir?" she asked as she knocked.

"What is it Rizzoli?" asked Lieutenant Cavanaugh.

"I think I have a lead on Catherine Cordell and the Surgeon," she said and waited for Cavanaugh's reaction.

His head snapped up immediately. He understood that the clock was ticking too. "Go on," he said.

Jane took two minutes to fill him in and show him the print and the preliminary information on Hoyt. She then stated that she had tried Korsak but calls were still not ringing through to him.

"Sir, we need to check out this house. Cordell doesn't have much more time remaining."

Cavanaugh agreed. "Take Crowe, Baxter and Hunt. Plus I'll call in a few officers for backup. I'll track down Vince as well." This really could be something. "And Jane," he added as she made her way to his door, "be careful." Jane nodded and went to get Crowe and the others.

Twenty minutes later, Jane, Crowe, Baxter, Hunt, Korsak, who finally had reconnected with his cellphone signal, and four patrol officers cautiously approached the house of Charles Hoyt. With the match of the fingerprints from inside the Cordell residence, they had probable cause to knock on the door. As they were heading for the house Cavanaugh even managed to get a judge on the phone and they were now in possession of a signed search warrant for the premise. An officer was bringing the warrant but Cavanaugh had confirmed it existed. If no one answered the door they were going in.

Three unanswered knocks later, the group moved in. Korsak, Hunt and two patrol officers headed around back. Jane, Crowe, Baxter and two officers took the front. Crowe kicked in the front door when their group was ready. Each started to go room by room clearing the rooms and checking for Hoyt or Cordell.

Jane got to the basement door first. She didn't hesitate to head down the stairs. She knew the guys were mere seconds behind her and as soon as she opened the door she heard faint whimpers and cries. She had a feeling she had just found Cordell.

She worked her way down the flight of stairs with her gun leading her way. She was cautious but quick. She got down to the landing without incident and she turned to her right and spotted a bound and gagged Catherine Cordell. She was relieved to see the woman alive but her instincts told her the basement was not currently secure. She tried to indicate to Cordell that she would be ok and help was on the way.

She never heard him. But she felt the two by four that knocked her over. She also felt it hit her across the face a second time. That's all it took for her to lose the grip she had on the here and now. But before everything faded to black for her she heard the unmistakable sounds of Korsak shouting her name and the loud bang from his gun. She was fading away but she watched Hoyt fall in front of her as Korsak's bullet hit him in the upper shoulder.

And then...nothing.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

"Jane?"

She started to hear sounds. She thought maybe it was her name. But she wasn't sure. It wasn't clear. It sounded like it came from a tunnel. But she hadn't been in a tunnel. Or had she? No. Not a tunnel. A basement. A basement belonging to a murder suspect. Hoyt. She needed to wake up.

"Jane? Can you hear me?"

She heard that. It was clearer. That was the voice of her partner. She relaxed a bit knowing that if she was hearing Korsak's voice in her head she couldn't be in immediate danger. She felt herself start to come around. Slowly things started to come to her. Sounds. Smells. She felt her eyes starting to flutter open. And then she felt it. The pain from her head. Both the back of her head and right above her left eye.

"Owwww!" she groaned as her eyes finally opened and stayed open. Her hand instinctively reached up to touch the pain site above her eye.

She heard a chuckle. "Don't move your head too much Jane. It's only going to make it hurt more," Korsak said. He was standing over his partner who was laying on a gurney that had been carried out of the house and towards the waiting ambulance.

Jane looked up at him blinking a few times trying to shake the haze off. She took in the scene in front of her. Korsak was standing over her as was an EMT. She could hear commotion all around her and she saw officers, EMTs and CSRU techs moving about. She was outside but she wasn't completely sure how she got there or how long she was out.

"Did we find her in time?" she asked. She vaguely remembered heading down into the basement looking for Cordell.

"Yeah Jane. We found her in time. Hoyt's in custody," he answered. He wasn't surprised she asked about Cordell before asking about herself.

"How long?" she asked.

Korsak knew she was asking how long she was out. "About twenty minutes," he answered. He knew her well enough to know she wasn't going to be happy about that much time.

"Twenty minutes?" she almost whined. She couldn't believe she let someone get such a jump on her that she was out for twenty minutes. If she had been alone she fully understood that she probably would be dead right now. She let a flash of that understanding sink in but then immediately dismissed it refusing to let herself think about what could have happened.

Jane suddenly realized she was lying down on a gurney and immediately found that unacceptable. She tried to sit up and about halfway up she realized that was a big mistake. Dizziness and nausea overtook her and she slank back down onto the gurney to try to center herself. "Ohhh," she released a muffled cry not wanting to call attention to herself.

"Stay still Jane," chastised Korsak. "You took a shot to both the back and front of your head. You probably have a concussion so quick movements are not a good idea right now."

Jane let the wave of nausea pass and she sat up again. This time she moved slower and that seemed to help. She refused to be seen as weak. There was no way she was going to stay on a gurney at a crime scene. She swung her legs around so her feet were now off the gurney and on the ground. She was going to stand up and get off the gurney. She just needed to get her bearings straight first.

"Detective, you should listen to your partner. You really should lay back down and let us take you to the hospital," the young EMT tried to coax the detective back down on the gurney. He looked to Korsak for some help. Vince just shook his head. He didn't have much say when Jane got like this.

Although she knew it was probably going to make her headache worse she couldn't help but roll her eyes at the hospital statement anyway. Jane didn't do hospitals. Korsak caught her eye roll and had to try not to snicker. He already knew the only way Jane was going to the hospital would have been if she was still unconscious.

"At least move slowly Jane until you get your bearings," Korsak stated knowing that was the only advice she was going to take.

The EMT finished placing a bandage on the cut that was above Jane's left eye. "You may need stitches and your partner is right. You may have a concussion and you should get checked out at the hospital."

"I'm fine," Jane said. "I'll sign the release." She had a monster headache but the dizziness was subsiding. She accepted the ice pack from the EMT and gently pushed it up against the back of her head. That helped a little. Turning her attention to Korsak she spoke. "Hoyt?"

"He's in custody. On his way to the hospital at the moment. I got him in the shoulder before he could hit you again. He'll recover." Korsak was quiet for a minute. "I'm sorry Jane. I should have gotten to the basement faster."

"Hey," she said immediately. "You dropped him. I'm fine. That's all that matters." She had been conscious long enough to know it was Korsak who shot Hoyt. She tried to convey how she felt with a look. They had been partners for a long time and they had each other's back. They each trusted each other implicitly and there was no way Jane was going to let him think he failed to protect her.

Korsak cleared his throat and dropped his eyes. He felt bad that Jane had gotten hit in the first place but he was reassured by how quickly Jane dismissed his concerns. He knew she could take care of herself. She was tough but she was still his partner and he would always feel responsible for her.

Jane let the moment linger between the two of them for a few more seconds before shifting the conversation. "And Cordell?"

"Injured but alive thanks to you," Korsak confirmed.

"It was all of us," Jane stated as she looked over at Crowe, Baxter and Hunt. They all had entered that house. They all had spent time trying to track down Cordell and find the Surgeon.

"Jane, you were the one who figured out the possibility of the print on that coffee table. That was huge. Jackson said he wouldn't have run those prints for at least another day if you hadn't asked. Cordell would have run out of time. That was a hell of a catch." He didn't hide the pride in his tone. He had known from the start of their partnership that Jane was an excellent detective. She was just a natural at the 'detecting' part of the job.

Jane held out her hand and Korsak reluctantly helped her to stand up. Part of him wanted to argue and try to force her to stay seated but he knew her well enough to know the argument would fall on deaf ears. She stood up and let another wave of dizziness pass through her. But it wasn't as severe as the last one so she stayed standing.

"Alright, you're up on your feet. Everyone sees how tough you are. Now, I'm going to drive you home," Korsak said. His tone was strong and he wasn't going to take no for an answer.

"I'm..." Jane started but was cut off.

"You're fine. I know. But it's Cavanaugh's orders. He figured you'd refuse to go to the hospital so I've been charged with at least getting you home. You've earned the rest of the day off. No arguments. We will wrap things up here. There's nothing more right now than supervising the CSRU teams anyway."

Jane went to argue but stopped. Her work was really done for the day. And she did have a bad headache. She looked around one last time and gave in. "Alright, you can drive me home."

Korsak silently thanked the gods for not making him have to forcibly remove Jane from the crime scene, something he has had to do in the past, and they made their way to his car.

R&I

Jane was quiet in the car and tried to rest. She felt okay minus the headache but had to admit the quiet in the car was better than the noise and chaos of the crime scene. She didn't realize where they were going until Korsak pulled up to the house. She turned to look at him. "No!" she said with conviction.

"Yes," he answered without looking over at her. He parked the car and turned off the engine.

"You said you were taking me home," she said not hiding her irritation.

"You are home," he pointed out.

"Home is my apartment. Home is not here," she said staring at him.

"For tonight, home is here. Sorry Jane. But you and I both know you have at least a mild concussion. You lost consciousness for crying out loud. You can refuse the hospital all you want but someone needs to keep an eye on you tonight. It's here or the hospital. The choice is yours," he answered. He wasn't unsympathetic but he knew this was Jane's only option.

Jane sat in the car without moving. Silence filled the car. "Well?" he finally asked.

"I'm thinking," she pouted. If looks could kill Vince would have been in serious trouble.

Korsak couldn't help but chuckle. "Come on. It won't be that bad. It's just one night."

"I'm sorry have you not met my mother?" she asked with deep sarcasm. "Don't you have a couch or something I can sleep on?" She was now pleading with her partner.

Korsak chuckled. "Sorry. It's this or the hospital. She's not that bad Jane. She loves you."

As if on cue the front door to the home opened and Angela Rizzoli stepped out to greet her visitors. "Janie, why are you still sitting in the car? Come inside. I have your room all ready for you."

Jane gave a look to Korsak that he knew meant he would definitely pay a high price for this at a later time. "She knows?" was all Jane could get out.

"I called to ask if they would be home to keep an eye on you," he answered trying to defend his actions. "Come on Jane. Someone has to wake you up periodically throughout the night and you know it."

Jane got out of the car and started to walk towards the house. "You realize there will be hell to pay for this," she said giving Korsak one last evil look before reaching the front door. "Hey Ma," Jane greeted.

Angela held the door open for both Jane and Vince. As Jane approached Angela got a good look at Jane's face and saw the swollen and bruised cut above her eye. "Oh Janie, that must hurt." She went to try to put her hands on Jane but Jane ducked out of her mother's reach.

"I'm fine Ma. It's just a bump on the head," Jane tried to dismiss her mother's concerns.

"Angela, it's two bumps on the head. Your daughter has a matching lump on the back of her head too," Korsak wasn't about to leave without Angela understanding what she needed to do for Jane's well being. Jane could just kill him later. "She has a concussion. You will need to make sure she doesn't really sleep for more than a couple of hours at a time tonight."

"Her father and I will look after her," Angela agreed. Angela hadn't taken her eyes off her daughter even though she had been talking with Korsak.

"Guys, I'm standing right here," Jane announced with irritation. She hated it when people talked around her. Almost as much as she hated it when people made a fuss over her. She fully entered the house and went into the living room. Frank was there watching TV and she let herself smile for the first time since pulling up to the house. She went and sat down next to him on the couch. "Hey Pop," she said as she sat down. She allowed herself to snuggle into her father.

Jane hated attention. She hated people making a big deal over her. It drove her absolutely crazy if her mother tried to hover over her. But if she was going to allow anyone to comfort her it was her father. She always seemed to let her guard down with Frank.

Frank draped his arm over Jane's shoulder. He had been worried about her ever since Vince had called and let them know she was hurt. But he knew she wouldn't let him make too many comments about what had happened. He could ask but he would be limited to how often he could ask. "Your face looks bad," he said looking at the cut above her eye. "You ok?"

"I will be just fine," she said and settled herself into his side so they could start watching the baseball game together. "What's the score?" They were done talking about her for the night.

Vince watched the father/daughter interaction for a moment and then made his way with Angela into the kitchen. He caught Angela looking towards the living room with a worried expression. "She's really ok," he said trying to reassure the worried mother. "I just didn't want her to be alone tonight with the concussion possibility."

"You did the right thing by bringing her here," Angela acknowledge. "The woman is too stubborn to have come here on her own. So, you guys caught the guy?"

"Yeah. We were in time to save the lady and we should be able to build the case against him for the other murders now that he is in custody."

"Good. I've been worried. Jane said this has been a difficult case for all of you," she said as she handed Vince a cup of coffee.

"It's been a challenge. But Jane seems to have cracked it wide open today," he said as he too looked into the living room at his injured partner. "She figured it out just in time." There was no mistaking the pride in his tone.

"So what now?" Angela asked.

"The DA will need to piece together a case for all five murders. We have Hoyt cold on Cordell's kidnapping, rape and assault but we'll have to work to tie the other cases together."

"If he got caught with that lady today shouldn't everything else take care of itself?" Angela asked.

"You would think. But there isn't a lot of physical evidence for the five murders. We have a new Chief ME starting in two days and everyone is hoping she will be able to re-examine all of the evidence and find something that may have been overlooked." Korsak wasn't a fan of Dr. Pike who had been substituting as temporary chief ME until the permanent replacement could get moved to Boston.

"Jane mentioned a new ME was hired. Some woman from California," Angela stated. "I think she's a little excited not to be the only female prowling around the station."

Korsak smiled. The station really was a boy's club. Jane had always handled it well and the guys had long since accepted Jane and respected her but he too thought she was a little excited that the new ME was a woman. "We've heard good things about Dr. Isles. She came highly recommended and she's supposed to be a certified genius which is definitely a step up from Pike."

"Sounds intriguing. I wonder why she agreed to move to Boston." Angela looked at Vince who just shrugged his shoulders. "Would you like to stay for dinner?"

"No thank you," he answered. "I've got a few reports to finish from today. I just wanted to get Jane here. I should get going but please make sure you don't let her sleep too long tonight." He was worried about the concussion but knew Angela would look out for her.

Vince headed into the living room to say goodbye to Jane. "I'm heading. You get as much rest as you can tonight. Don't worry about coming in tomorrow if you wake up with that headache. We've got nothing but paperwork ahead of us for this case."

Jane nodded. "I'll see you in the morning." There was no mistaking her insistent tone.

Korsak shook his head as he walked out the front door. He had to have the most stubborn partner on the entire force.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Dr. Maura Isles made her way into the station and down towards the morgue. It was early but she was an early riser. She wasn't exactly nervous about starting as the new Chief Medical Examiner. She was very confident in her abilities. She was anxious though. Anxious to get settled and to set up her office and her new lab to the standards she had come to appreciate while in San Francisco.

Her belongings for her office were being shipped to the station and should arrive later that afternoon. But for now she knew she could start to assess the lab to see how much she would need to change. After that, she wanted to do a complete personnel review so she could get an idea of what her staff was like and start to get a sense of strengths and weaknesses.

If she was honest with herself she was a little bit nervous about starting at a new station. She was aware of her social awkwardness and she knew she was going to have to adjust to a whole new station full of police detectives and personnel who would most likely not quite understand her. She wasn't good in social situations. Even after years of immersion therapy she wasn't the best at understanding sarcasm and various social norms.

It had been her experience that new people would try to get to know her but that would fail shortly after the attempts didn't seem to end the awkward moments. She had a bad habit of rambling when she was nervous and she rambled about very technical scientific facts. In her experience, few people knew how to relate to that so they would tolerate her but not befriend her.

She knew her work was impeccable and she figured the Boston PD would react to her the way everyone else reacted to her. Acceptance of her work and tolerance for her social ineptitudes. It would just be a question of how long it would take for them to realize her work was excellent even though she was a bit odd from time to time. She just hoped they would figure her out quickly.

Her first review of the lab setup and equipment helped put her at ease. The lab was state of the art and she was immediately aware that her operating budget was greater than the one she had just come from. From an equipment standpoint there were not many changes she felt would be needed. In fact, the changes she noted on her walk through revolved more around flow and ease of work than equipment or standards.

She had just started to pull personnel files for the review she would do later when there was a knock on her office door. Curious as to who was knocking this early in the morning she looked up and was surprised to see a tall brunette standing in her doorway. She was aware that there was one female homicide detective in the department but she never made assumptions so she waited for the woman to introduce herself.

The brunette was quite stunning. Long, wildly wavy hair. She had excellent musculature and the doctor could tell the woman was in top physical condition. Maura was close to categorizing her as gorgeous even with the evident swelling and bruising around the supraorbital foramen of her left eye. Maura couldn't help but notice she had a distinct reaction to the woman standing in her doorway.

"Excuse me, Dr. Isles?" Jane asked from outside Maura's door.

"Yes. May I help you?" Maura asked.

"I'm Detective Rizzoli. I'm one of the homicide detectives. Am I interrupting anything?" Jane asked tentatively as the doctor had not yet invited her into the office.

"What can I do for you Detective?" Maura asked not really noticing that Jane continued to stand in the doorway.

"May I come in?" Jane asked.

"Oh of course, I'm sorry. Please. Come in," Maura answered and almost sighed. Her first interaction with a homicide detective and already she had missed a social cue. As Jane entered the office Maura got a better look at the injured detective.

"The laceration above your eye should have been closed with a butterfly stitch. You will run the risk of a permanent scar. Did the x-rays reveal any fractures of either the supraorbital foramen or the frontal bone?"

Jane was a little thrown by this. She hadn't expected a direct medical question. But Dr. Isles was a doctor so maybe it was just her habit. Jane dropped her eyes from the doctor's suddenly feeling a little self conscious as she felt the doctor staring at her. "I never went to the hospital to check for any fractures to either of those things. But I'm sure it's fine."

Maura looked at the injured area again. "That appears to have been caused by a violent strike of some sort. You should have been seen at a hospital. There may have been concussion concerns." Realizing that she may be sounding judgmental and not wanting to upset the woman during their first encounter Maura changed tactics. "Here, sit down," she indicated to the chair in front of her desk.

Surprisingly Jane found herself complying with the doctor's request without really questioning it. She look a seat in the chair and seemed willing to wait for the doctor to assess her current condition. The only thought that ran through her head was not to mention the second wound on the back of her head. For some reason she didn't want to worry the doctor.

Maura walked around her desk and fished around in her medical bag for a penlight. She wasn't accustomed to working on live patients but she was a medical doctor and had done several rotations in emergency medicine. She found the penlight and walked back around and stood in front of the detective.

"May I?" she asked permission before she did anything. Why she did she wasn't sure considering the detective had already complied and sat down in the chair but there was a part of her that wanted to make sure the detective was alright with her taking a quick look.

Jane simply nodded. She was suddenly closer to the doctor than she ever thought she would be during a first initial meet and greet. As she sat in the chair she took in the woman in front of her. She noticed immediately the beauty of the new medical examiner when she had knocked on the door. The woman was breathtakingly beautiful. Long, honey blond hair and gorgeous hazel eyes. Jane now found herself completely enthralled with the doctor. Jane couldn't help the slight shiver she felt as Maura leaned in closer to get a look at her wound.

Maura gently examined the bruising and swelling around Jane's left eye. She was impressed that the detective didn't wince when she was sure that she had pushed hard enough at least twice to elicit a reaction. Taking the penlight she used it to examine Jane's eye as best she could. She stayed focused on what she was doing but she couldn't help but notice the deep brown eyes looking up at her.

"Without an x-ray I can't be certain but it doesn't appear as if there are any fractures. Your pupil has good reaction to stimuli and I can't detect any hemorrhages. I would have recommended stitches for the cut but it appears to be at least a day old now and your best letting it heal on its own at this point. May I ask what happened?"

"I was just on the wrong end of a two by four is all," Jane answered dismissively. "But thank you for checking." Jane's answering of the question had forced her to release the breath she didn't realize she was holding. She shifted in the chair breaking their eye contact. Maura backed off and moved around to her side of the desk and sat down.

"Was there something you needed before I diverted your intentions by checking out your injury?" Maura asked Jane as she sat down. The detective had certainly come to see her for a reason other than having her eye looked at.

"Oh, well I wanted to introduce myself and welcome you to the station," Jane said with a smile. She was still adjusting to how taken she was by the beauty of the ME.

"Well thank you Detective," Maura said with a smile.

"You can call me Jane," she said with a smile.

"Only if you call me Maura," came the reply.

Both women smiled at each other for a moment. Neither really wanting or needing to fill in the silence. Maura found herself in the unusual situation of not feeling a bit awkward. Even in the silence there seemed to be a blanket of comfort between the two. A comfort Maura had never experienced before.

After a minute Jane spoke again. "Alright Maura, there was something else I was going to talk with you about."

"Go ahead," Maura encouraged.

"Have you heard of the Surgeon?" Jane asked.

"I'm familiar in as much as what I've seen from the press coverage of the case," Maura replied.

"We believe we have him in custody. But there is not a lot of physical evidence. Or at least not according to Dr. Pike," Jane said trying not to let her strong dislike of Pike carry in her tone.

"I have not yet had a chance to evaluate or review any of the case files that are currently open," Maura answered.

Jane nodded. "I know. I know today is your first day as Chief but I thought I'd let you know that this is definitely a high priority case. I do know that the DA has been waiting for you to get in place so you can review all of the evidence again. There are a lot of people, myself included, that believe there may have been evidence overlooked. I thought I'd give you the heads up that you may want to take a look at Pike's work for this case."

"I certainly appreciate the information, thank you," Maura said as she nodded.

Jane sat for a few more seconds but then stood up. She extended her hand towards the new ME. "Welcome to Boston Maura," she said with sincerity.

Maura took Jane's hand and felt a jolt of electricity ran through her. She first wondered if Jane felt the same. She then wondered what exactly was causing her own reaction. "Thank you Jane," she managed before releasing the detective's hand and she walked Jane to the door.

"I hope we will be able to work well together," Jane added before she headed out towards the elevators.

Maura watched Jane from her office until the elevator doors closed. "So do I," she said aloud but was speaking to herself. She returned to her desk but her thoughts stayed lingering on her encounter with the detective.

In the elevator, Jane couldn't contain the shiver that ran through her and her thoughts stayed focused on the new medical examiner.

They both had the same thought at virtually the same time.

_This is going to get very interesting._

R&I

Maura finished her review of the personnel files and for the most part she was pleased with the staff she had inherited. There was substantial talent on staff that she felt could be developed with the right guidance and management. Staff development seemed to have lapsed towards the end of the her predecessor's time as Chief ME. Maura made several notes on how she would go about working to return that focus.

She also got a glimpse of what the detective had hinted at concerning Dr. Pike. A review of his personnel file and a quick review of the reports and notes he filed showed a distinct pattern of sloppy and often incomplete work. With just a report review she was already calling into question his mechanics and his inability to refrain from reaching conclusions in his reporting. Maura had often found a major fallacy of some medical examiners was letting conclusions, assumptions or preconceived notions dictate how an autopsy would be conducted.

The thing Maura loved most about pathology was the simple fact that it was all about the science. Her job, and the job of all pathologists, was not to assume or guess. It was to examine the available information and evidence and let the science speak for itself. An unbiased examination of medical fact without the allowance for emotional perceptions. Maura understood science. She was comfortable in its certainties. Much more than she was ever comfortable with the humanity of the lives she found she would examine.

Because of Jane's warning about the high priority of the Surgeon case Maura had put in a request for those files as soon as Jane had headed upstairs. She planned to start a review of the files and work after her personnel review. She was just about to start that when she was called up to the office of the Captain of Homicide. An hour later she was back in her office and knew the rest of her day would be devoted to reviewing the Surgeon files.

For an hour she sat listening to the Assistant District Attorney, a Captain and a Lieutenant walk her through the five murders they were attempting to connect to Hoyt. They also reviewed the rape and assault of Cordell as this was really the only crimes they could currently tie Hoyt to. They did a breakdown of the cases and shared their frustrations with the work Dr. Pike had completed to date. They implored Maura to go back and review as much as she could in an attempt to discover any connection to Hoyt she could.

Maura agreed to a complete review of the work to date but she cautioned everyone in the room that her intent was not nor would it ever be to link a specific person to a specific crime. She respectfully explained that her job was to conduct thorough examinations of all the evidence made available to her without an agenda for determining guilt or innocence of a specific individual. The science would direct her examination. All three men in the room at least nodded in agreement with her sentiments.

Maura excused herself to get to work. She took her job as a medical examiner very seriously. She spoke for the dead. She knew there were things she could help find on the bodies of the victims that would aid in bringing the wrongdoers to justice. But she could never enter an examination with an agenda.

Instead, she simply wanted to do right by the victims of this case. To find the clues they each left behind. To bring them each the justice they were entitled to. To help give the families a sense of closure that had been lacking to this point. Five horrific murders and from what she saw in the work Pike had done for the case to date he had certainly not done any of the five justice with his efforts. She was about to change all of that.

R&I

Three of the five bodies for the case were still in the morgue. Maura knew she would be able to redo all the labs and examinations for those three victims instead of relying on Pike's initial work. The first two victims' had already been released and claimed by family. Maura was surprised by this considering the case was still active and an open investigation. She did not understand Pike's decision to release the bodies to the family. She would have to work with the files Pike assembled for those two victims.

She got to work on the file reviews for all five cases. That quickly lead to her need to reexamine the victims that were still in the morgue. She had gotten completely wrapped up in what she was doing and hadn't even stopped for any kind of lunch break. In fact, she had no realization that the entire day had passed as she was diligently processing labs and evidence that she had found was in fact overlooked. It took a subtle throat clearing noise and a light knock to finally pulled Maura's attention away from what she was doing.

"Dr. Isles?" Jane spoke quietly trying not to startle the ME.

"Oh Detective," she said as she looked up. "I didn't hear you enter the lab." She was surprised to even see the detective standing in the morgue. She looked at the clock and saw that it was almost 9 pm. How the entire day had passed she wasn't sure.

"I didn't mean to interrupt but I thought you could use this," Jane said and flashed the contents in her hands to Maura. "I was getting dinner for my partner and I and I thought you may want something. I'm pretty sure you haven't eaten anything all day so I got you a sandwich and some coffee. I'm sorry I don't know how you take your coffee or what you really like for food so both are pretty plain to be on the safe side. But I did ask for an assortment of creams, sugars and some condiments so you should be able to make both at least manageable." Jane placed the coffee, sandwich and extra condiments onto the counter next to her.

Maura was dumbstruck. No one had ever, ever thought enough about her to get her food or a drink simply because she hadn't had anything all day. No one had ever even stopped to notice that she hadn't had anything to eat all day before. Certainly no one who had only met her that day. She couldn't believe it. The gesture touched her deeply. She did not really know how to respond.

"It's Maura Jane," she said with a smile. A smile that lit up the entire morgue. It was the best she could manage for a response. But given the smile that spread across Jane's face it was the right response in that moment.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

It didn't take long for the station to realize the talent of their new medical examiner. Sure she was a little different but anyone who watched her work or received information from her couldn't deny the distinct difference between what she offered and what they had been used to. The difference between Dr. Isles and Dr. Pike was just a given but she was remarkably better than ME she replaced.

No longer did they worry about an ME destroying evidence in a feeble attempt to retrieve it. No longer did they worry about an ME overlooking key pieces of evidence. No longer did they worry about the District Attorney turning down a case or trying to plea to lesser charges because of the questionable work by the ME's office. Maura's work was impeccable. Nothing was overlooked. Nothing was missed.

She ran tests others deemed unnecessary simply because she refused to dismiss any possibility without checking on it. And she never, ever guessed. Or assumed. It took a couple of weeks for the homicide teams to realize she wasn't going to ever call what they were sure was a bloodstain anything more than reddish-brown spots until a test was completed. But once they all got used to that they quickly figured out their cases were the better for it.

Maura had made an immediate impact for the department. It had started with Dr. Pike. A complete review of the case files from the previous two months had been enough to convince Maura that Pike was not a competent ME. She attempted to address his deficiencies and lay out a plan of action but he took such offense to having his shortcomings pointed out to him that he announced he would quit. Maura didn't flinch. In fact she accepted the notice and made it effective immediately. That interaction alone had already become station rumor and lore.

The other lore that was developing around the ME was linked to her beauty. It was undeniable and it seemed that the entire station was taken with the doctor. The men and the women. Maura didn't do much to diffuse the lingering looks and stolen stares when it came to her wardrobe choices. The doctor dressed to the nines. It didn't seem to matter if she was at the station or responding to a crime scene. The woman dressed impeccably and in the latest fashions.

Equally perplexing to everyone at the station was the fact that the doctor seemed oblivious to the stares and lingering looks. At first most of the guys, and a lot of the women, were convinced that she dressed the way she dressed to gain attention. That she wanted to be seen as 'hot commodity'. Almost every male detective, as well as several female officers, had attempted to ask the doctor out for a drink or dinner. Some even just arrogantly propositioned sex.

But all were turned down. Maura seemed both genuinely flattered and surprised by the offers, including the offers for sex, but she declined them all. After her first month at the station most people stopped assuming her dress and wardrobe was an open invitation and finally figured out that the woman just happened to love fashion. Maura's clothing eventually just became an extension of her character and personality.

Maura's acceptance by the station happened more quickly than Maura thought it would. The transition seemed to go easier than it had at previous locations. It hadn't, however, gone with some incidents. Not every detective was happy to have their dinner invitations turned down. Not every female in the building found Maura's demeanor and manner of dress harmless. There were some, mainly those who did not come in contact with Maura on a regular basis, that did not take to her awkwardness. In some circles, she was acquiring a reputation for being cold, aloof and an attention seeker.

Thankfully the size of that segment of the station was fairly small and seemed to be getting smaller as time went by. The shrinking size of that segment was also aided by the ferocity by which Jane would stand up for or defend Maura to anyone who dared utter a negative word against her. A fact demonstrated sufficiently about three weeks after Maura had started at the station.

Korsak and Jane had just arrived at a crime scene and were making their way towards the roped off area. Maura had arrived first and Jane had just located her when she heard two officers snickering and chatting. She stopped to listen and when she heard one make a comment to the other about the tight skirt Maura was wearing she was pissed. When she heard the other officer's comment about how some were calling Maura 'Queen of the Dead' she had heard enough.

Before either officer knew what was happening Jane had pulled them both aside and proceeded to rip into each of them. It was an impressive five minute berating of the two centering on professionalism and respect at the end of which both officers retreated with their tails tucked between their legs but not before they each offered up an apology to Maura who hadn't seen what occurred, hadn't heard anything the officers had said and couldn't quite understand what each was apologizing for.

But there were people at that crime scene that knew exactly what happened. It didn't take long before the incident got around the entire station. It was quickly understood that whatever a person's opinion about the new ME was it would be a big mistake to share it with Jane if it wasn't a positive one. From that encounter on, the entire station was put on notice. To mess with Maura was to mess with Jane. And there wasn't a single person at the station that wanted to willingly take on Jane.

No one could quite figure out when or how it had become Jane and Maura. But it had become Jane and Maura. The only person Maura would agree to do anything with outside of the lab or a crime scene was Jane. Theirs seemed to be an immediate and natural friendship. From their first encounter in which Jane had allowed Maura to look at her injuries to Jane bringing Maura a sandwich and coffee, things between the two women just seemed to evolve quickly and effortlessly.

After that first day Maura repaid the sandwich with coffee. First just a cup she brought for Jane. Then it was a coffee break together. And then another. Then they met for lunch. And another. And somehow lunch just became an assumed outing together if they were both at the station and available.

Several lunches into their time together Maura got the first invite to the Dirty Robber for a drink after work. That turned into several more invites which just turned into an understanding that if Jane was stopping for a drink the doctor would most likely be joining her. They even had dinner a few times.

Neither seemed to understand exactly why or how they had started to become involved in each other's life. But they had. And even more surprising to both of them was the comfort level they felt with each other. That had been unexpected for them both. The station was witness to the growth of a genuine, if not unique, friendship forming between the two.

Neither Jane nor Maura tried to define what was happening between them. Neither was looking for a label or really felt one was required. There was definitely a strong friendship developing. But for both women it was more than that. There was definitely a mutual attraction although neither really had a hand on how deep it ran, what it meant or if the other felt the same. But it was even more than that too. Neither tried to call the lunches, coffees, drinks or dinners 'dates' but neither dismissed that notion out of hand either. For them, their time together just was.

They had hit it off immediately. They enjoyed each other's company. They liked spending time together. They thought about the other when they weren't together. What exactly 'it' was between them had yet to take a definitive form but to everyone who stood as a witness to their interactions there was no denying that there was an 'it' and 'it' was extremely special.

R&I

Maura had made significant progress with the case against the Surgeon. Thanks to her diligence she was able to find multiple examples of forensic evidence that Pike had missed during the initial examinations of the three victims she could examine herself. She had been able to find several fibers and hair follicles that could be linked to Charles Hoyt as well as his DNA on the female victims.

Based on her findings from the three bodies she could examine the DA convinced the family of the first victims to allow for their bodies to be exhumed and for Maura to re-exam them as well. That reexamination lead to more forensic evidence that could be linked to Hoyt. By the time Maura was able to redo and analyze all of the autopsies for the five victims she had turned a circumstantial at best case against Charles Hoyt into a near certain conviction for murder, rape, kidnapping and assault. The DA was ecstatic and it looked like Hoyt would be sent away for life.

The preliminary hearing against him was scheduled to occur in a week and DA was not only certain he would secure the case being remanded over for trial but now felt like any defense attorney to take Hoyt's case would have motivation to attempt to work out a plea agreement rather than face trial by jury.

Maura had just finished her last testimony prep session with the DA when her phone beeped an incoming text.

_When you are done convincing the DA that you are in fact a genius- drinks? J_

Maura couldn't help but smile as she typed her reply.

_I'm exhausted. I'm not against the idea of a drink but I don't really want to go out. My place maybe? M_

As much as she wanted to see Jane she didn't really feel like going to the Robber. She didn't even realize she was holding her breath until her phone beeped again with Jane's response and she exhaled.

_Sure. 7? I'll bring dinner. J_

The smile on her face got bigger.

_See you soon. M_

That would give her plenty of time to get home, get a shower and relax a bit before Jane came over. Just the idea that she was going to get to see Jane made Maura believe it was the perfect ending for her day.

At the stroke of 7 there was a knock on Maura's day. Jane was nothing if not punctual. The very sound of the knock put a smile on Maura's face. She answered the door and grinned seeing the tall detective balancing a few bags on top of a pizza box. She immediately stepped aside and Jane entered heading straight to the kitchen.

"Before you even ask I only had them put pepperoni on my half of the pizza," Jane called as Maura trailed behind Jane. "And, I even caved and got stuff for salad." She couldn't help but smile at that part. Maura was becoming a bad influence on her. The thought of a salad had never even occurred to Jane prior to her new friendship with the ME.

Maura was also smiling. "Salad is good for you. Especially if you insist on chasing it with pizza."

"I'll have you know I spent ten minutes trying to convince the manager that I wasn't of ill health," Jane replied. Seeing Maura look a bit confused she explained. "I don't order salad. Ever. He thought I must be sick or something."

Both women shared a laugh. Jane rummaged around for plates and utensils and Maura went to work on drinks. Beer for Jane. Wine for herself. She pulled out a beer from the refrigerator as a frosted mug from the freezer. If either had stopped to really take in the scene they both would have been slightly surprised.

The comfort level and ease each felt was amazing. Jane had made herself at home in the ME's kitchen. She knew where the plates and silverware were just as if she were in her own kitchen. She knew how Maura liked her pizza and that she liked to grind pepper over her salad. Maura had beer in her refrigerator. Beer just for Jane. And she had noticed Jane enjoy beer from a frosted mug once and now always managed to have several mugs in her freezer ready.

It really was as if they had known each other for much longer than the two months it had been. They had fallen into a rhythm with each other that didn't even seem to register with either of them. Events as routine as dinner preparation quickly appeared choreographed as if they had dined together every night for years.

Within a few minutes they were both sitting at Maura's dining room table enjoying both the dinner and the conversation. As adjusted as they were to each other's habits Jane had not yet won Maura over on the concept of eating and watching TV. Maura was still holding her ground on the whole food is meant to be eaten at the table belief.

"So how was the trial prep with the DA?" Jane asked.

"It was fine," Maura answered. "No one expects any surprises. From what Hagan says everyone seems to be in agreement that there is more than enough evidence to remand the case over for trial. He seems only mildly concerned about any challenges to the forensic evidence that was only found when I did the second autopsies."

Jane thought for a minute, "Does he think the defense will claim it was all planted after we identified Hoyt as the suspect?"

"That's one concern but he thinks they might still try to hit on credibility. The prosecution survived the pre-trial motions to suppress but Hagan thinks the defense attorney will hit the ME office's credibility. And unfortunately Pike didn't do the DA any favors with the initial autopsies. In some ways it doesn't look good that everything he has wasn't discovered until after you had arrested Hoyt." Maura shook her head. She had been shocked at how much Pike had missed with his original autopsies. "But he seems convinced that I can handle the cross examination when it comes time."

Jane had become very aware of Maura's skillset. "No defense attorney stands a chance against you," she said with a smile.

"We'll see about that," Maura answered.

They finished dinner and the clean up was relatively simple. "Do you want to stay and watch a movie?" Maura asked.

"My idea of a movie or yours?" Jane asked not hiding the sarcasm in her tone. Maura's idea of a movie, Jane had discovered, was either something in a foreign language or a documentary.

Maura sighed. "Mine," she answered sheepishly. "Sorry, I was running late and didn't really have time to stop and get anything." She had quickly figured out that Jane did not enjoy reading subtitles during movies. Jane also didn't categorize a documentary as a movie.

"As tempting as reading my next movie is, I really should get going. But thanks for dinner," she replied.

"I should be thanking you. You brought the food," Maura answered with a smile.

"Speaking of food, I did want to ask you something before I go," Jane said as they were making their way to Maura's front door.

"Ask away," Maura replied.

"Are you on call this weekend?" Jane asked.

"No. It's not my weekend on," she answered.

"Do you have plans on Sunday?" Jane asked hoping the answer would be no.

"None to speak of," Maura replied.

"Well then, I'd like to invite you to my family's Sunday dinner," Jane asked looking at Maura as she asked.

"Sunday dinner?" Maura asked.

"Hey. After my brothers and I all moved out the house my mother started insisting that we all still try to eat at least one meal together as a family each week. So Sunday sort of became Rizzoli Family dinner night. It'll be my folks and I think both of my younger brothers. Frankie for sure but I believe Tommy will be coming too. Would you like to join me?"

Maura was beyond touched by even the invitation. "I don't want to intrude on a family activity," she protested.

"First of all, you would not be intruding as you are invited. Not only by me but by my mother as well," Jane said with sincerity. "And second, while it is the Rizzoli clan and we can be a lot to take in, it's never been an exclusive thing. Friends join all the time. I'd really like you to join us Sunday. Please?"

The idea intrigued Maura. Jane had spoken about her family and shared some stories with Maura. She was fascinated by everything she had heard. From Jane's description of her family life Maura knew it was unlike anything she had ever experienced before. Maura's parents were marginally involved in her life at best. From everything Jane had described to date, the Rizzoli household was anything but marginally involved in each other's lives.

She couldn't pass up the chance to witness this version of family up close. "In that case, I would love to," she answered with a smile.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

As Sunday approached Maura's nerves were starting to get the best of her. She had been taken by surprise at the ease she felt in the presence of Jane since they first met. Their friendship and relationship seemed to just develop naturally. But now she was about to be introduced to Jane's family and she wasn't sure that easy, natural feeling would follow her into Sunday's dinner.

Maura's family experience was uniquely different from what Jane had already described to her about life in the Rizzoli household. Maura had two parents she loved and believed loved her but they were not close. They never had been.

Maura was adopted when she was a baby and from a materialistic perspective she had never wanted for anything growing up. She had the best of everything. Accommodations, education, clothes, possessions. Everything. But life wasn't always just about the materialistic side.

Maura had wants. All her life. Wants and needs that had gone unfulfilled. Maura grew up alone. And it wasn't just because she was an only child. She was alone because there was never anyone in her life that cared for her from an emotional side. Her parents were too involved in their own lives to get wrapped up in hers. Her care was assigned out to a series of nannies, housekeepers and private school patrons. Individuals paid to see to Maura's daily needs. All her needs except love.

She had several who cared for her. She was close to several of her caretakers as she grew up. But it wasn't love. It wasn't what she thought family was really supposed to be like. It was never the concept of family she read about in books she had come to cherish. Those people, most of whom were really nice, were only in her life because they were hired to be. Never because they chose to be. Throughout her life never never felt 'chosen'. She saw herself as a responsibility.

Maura's independence developed early on in her life. She had a moment, early in her childhood, where she became fully aware that she could either accept the way her parents were and adapt or she could wallow about their limitations. The rational side of her found acceptance to be a more productive endeavor. So she accepted the way things were and she figure out how best to make do. That included attending boarding schools from the age of ten.

But Maura's life was a lonely one. Between the isolation she often found herself in and her social awkwardness, she had gone through life without anyone she would identify as a friend. She knew people and had acquaintances but she had never had anyone stay in her life long enough or try to look passed her awkwardness to get to know her as an actual friend.

And then came Jane. Suddenly she found herself comfortable around another person. Someone she wanted to spend her time with and wanted to get to know better. Someone she felt she could call a friend. Maybe more. Someone who didn't want anything from her other than her time and company. Someone willing to ask her to a family function for no other reason than to just get to know her folks. Someone who wanted Maura to be a part of her life. Someone who actually 'chose' her. She didn't want to screw that all up.

"I bought a couple of bottles of wine," Maura told Jane over the phone. "I didn't know what else to get or to bring."

"Maura, I told you that you didn't need to bring anything," Jane answered.

"And I heard you. I just didn't find that answer helpful. So I settled for wine. Do your parents drink wine? You usually don't but you will at dinner sometimes. Maybe they don't drink wine. Maybe I should have gotten something else. Or maybe I should run and get something else..."

"Maura, stop. You are rambling. Why are you so nervous?" Jane was now confused as to what had gotten into Maura.

"I just," Maura sighed not knowing exactly how to explain her current state. "I just want to make a good impression. I want your parents to like me."

Jane let out a light chuckle. In that moment she wished she was with Maura instead of on the phone. For one she had a feeling Maura had an adorably cute look on her face in that moment. For another, she really wished Maura could see her face when she answered. "My folks are going to love you. Relax. If anything I should be worried that they are going to decide that they like you more than they like me." She paused and heard a somewhat suppressed giggle from the doctor. That made her feel better. "Alright, I'm pulling up to your house. Grab the wine and come out." Jane hung up and put the car in park.

Maura was out a few minutes later. Jane couldn't help but smile taking in Maura's appearance. Her beauty really was breathtaking. Jane had, by now, gotten used to Maura's tendency to overdress for just about any occasion. She should have expected today to be no different. But the sight of Maura just struck her.

It wasn't so much the dress. It was how she wore the dress. Or maybe the dress wore her. Either way every place that should curve on a woman curved and every place that should be tight was tight. Jane quickly found herself needing to resist the stare she knew she was doing.

Maura entered the car and smiled at Jane. "Hi."

"Maura, you look great. You do realize that dinner is just at my folks place, right?" Jane said with a smile.

"Yes," she answered honestly not really getting that Jane was trying to make a joke.

Jane bit down on her cheek not to laugh. She put the car in gear and they headed out to Jane's parent's house. They chatted as they drove and Jane couldn't help but notice that Maura was nervous.

"Maura, relax. It's just a casual family dinner," Jane said looking over at her friend. "I'll ask again, why are you so nervous?"

"I'm just not good around people," Maura admitted quietly.

Jane raised an eyebrow at that comment. She thought about the interactions she had witnessed from Maura since they met. Granted Maura was a little stand-offish with new people. She was extremely literal and didn't quite understand sarcasm. She had a tendency to give extremely detailed explanations for things but Jane just didn't see anything that was wrong with Maura's interactions with people.

"Maura, you are just fine around people. I've watched you," Jane said with nothing but sincerity.

"Jane," Maura said looking at her friend. Her tone was incredulous.

"What? I'm serious Maura. Ok, you are a bit literal and sometimes you give too lengthy of an answer to a question but you are fine with others. I've watched. The entire station loves you. You have enchanted us all. So, I think you need to give yourself some credit and relax. I didn't mean to stress you out with this invitation. I promise you that dinner with my folks will the be most laid back experience you have ever had in your life."

Maura smiled at Jane and immediately relaxed. "I haven't enchanted anyone Jane, but thank you." They exchanged a look as quiet settled over them in the car.

They arrived at the house and Jane parked the car. Jane looked over to Maura and smiled. "Seriously Maura, everything will be just fine. I want you to have a good time. Come on," Jane reached over and squeezed Maura's hand and waited for Maura to nod and move to open the car door.

They both got out of the car and Jane lead Maura past the front porch around to the back. Maura wondered for a brief moment why they were walking around to the back of the house but she silently followed Jane. Jane opened a fence gate and lead Maura through to the back porch where they both entered into the house. Once inside Maura had an idea as to why they went in this way. The backdoor lead straight into the kitchen.

"Ma!" yelled out Jane almost startling Maura.

"Janie!" was hollered almost immediately back from somewhere on the second floor. From just this interaction Maura quickly figured out this was a typical interaction between mother and daughter and that she doubted the evening was going to be a quiet one. She couldn't help but smile.

"We're in the kitchen Ma," Jane called out and smiled at Maura.

Maura looked around and could see the evidence of meal preparation. She had smelled the garlic from the porch but now that they were in the kitchen the aromas were enticing. She had been warned that the dinner would consist of Italian food so Maura was prepared for that but standing in the kitchen what she was unprepared for was how the kitchen and by extension the house exuded such warmth and comfort. This was a home. It was a little disconcerting.

A few moments later Maura heard Angela Rizzoli making her way into the kitchen. She and Jane had lingered in the kitchen waiting for Angela. As Angela made her way into the kitchen Maura attempted to move out of the way so mother and daughter could greet each other. She was in no way prepared for what was about to happen.

Instead of acknowledging or greeting Jane, Angela flow right by her daughter and approached Maura. Before Maura could even react she found herself being pulled into a hug from the Rizzoli matriarch. "Maura! I'm so glad you could join us!"

"Ma! Don't squeeze the woman to death. You'll scare her off," Jane said as she snickered.

Maura hadn't exactly hugged back but she didn't fight off Angela either. Overt demonstrations of affection in a family was just not anything she was accustomed to. "It's very nice to meet you Mrs. Rizzoli. Thank you so much for having me over for dinner. I brought some wine," she said trying to gesture to the bottles in her hands but Angela's embrace was preventing her arms from moving freely.

Angela released Maura from her hug and looked at her. "That's very thoughtful of you. Please, call me Angela dear. We are not a very formal group here. And its our pleasure to have you. Jane has talked about you for weeks and I'm just happy to get a chance to finally meet you."

The genuineness of Angela's tone made Maura smile. "Alright, Angela. And the pleasure is all mine." The two women smiled at each other and Angela finally let Maura go completely. She took the bottles of wine and set them on the counter.

"Gee Ma, it's good to see you too," Jane said with slight sarcasm calling out her mother's complete dismissal of Jane.

Angela turned to Jane and smiled. "Sorry sweetheart, but I get to see and talk to you all the time." She snickered a bit at the pouting look that flashed across Jane's face. "Frankie should be here in about 10 minutes and your father talked to Tommy this morning and said he was planning on coming. Dinner should be ready in about a half an hour. Jane, take Maura into the living room so she can meet your father."

Jane nodded and pulled Maura away from her mother and headed out to find her dad. They entered the living room and saw the patriarch of the family sitting in an easy chair watching a baseball game.

"Hey Pop," Jane greeted as she entered the room. Maura couldn't help but notice how Frank's face just lit up when Jane entered the room.

Frank got up from the chair and unlike Angela he had Jane in an embrace in seconds. "Hey Sweetheart," he said with a smile. And unlike with Angela, Maura could tell Jane was totally at ease with her father.

"Pop, this is Maura," Jane said indicating his attention to her friend.

Frank let go of Jane and turned his attention to the doctor. Instead of a hug he extended his hand. "Maura, it's very nice to meet you," he said warmly.

Maura took his hand with a smile. "It's nice to meet you too Mr. Rizzoli," she said.

"Frank, please," he said with a smile. Maura nodded.

Jane took a seat on the couch and nodded towards Maura to sit next to her. Maura sat down and the three chatted easily until they heard the front door open and a Rizzoli brother entered. Maura was sure it was Frankie but she waited for the official introduction.

"Hey Pop," Frankie greets as he enters the house. "Ma! I'm here!" he then shouts. Maura was quickly reminded that the Rizzoli clan is not a quiet bunch. But that tickled her and she couldn't help but smile again.

Jane was up the minute Frankie walked into the house and she was the first to hug her brother. Maura noted that when given the right combination the Rizzoli clan were huggers. She hadn't expected that from Jane. She was taken by the openness of affection that the Rizzoli's seem to demonstrate as it was all things opposite of how she had grown up.

"Hey Little Brother," Jane greets him. "How's midnights?"

Frankie is also a Boston police officer. But he is just out of the academy and is a rookie beat cop. He's doing a four month stretch on midnights. "It's going alright. The nights are pretty inconsistent. I'm either slammed or the streets are deserted."

Jane nodded an understanding only one who had experienced that could nod. "Four months goes by very quickly. You'll get onto a day shift after that. Any issues with your FTO?"

Frankie shook his head. "No, Jackson is an ok guy. He doesn't seem to mind having me as a tagalong."

Angela entered the living room to greet Frankie just as Jane was introducing Maura. "Frankie, this is Dr. Isles," Jane said. She specifically introduced Maura as Dr. Isles to Frankie because he was a cop and would have to interact with Maura on a professional basis. Maura smiled at the respect Jane afforded to her within her own family.

Frankie had heard about the doctor not only from Jane but from fellow cops. He knew she was beautiful but he had to admit he was a little thrown by just how beautiful she was close up. She was stunning and he didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable so he was actively trying not to stare at her. Frankie could appreciate the look of a woman but he prided himself in not judging anyone by looks alone. Jane had beat that into him at an early age. He instead learned what he could about Maura from others that didn't focus on her looks. And from that he was impressed by what he heard. Her talents as an ME were earning her the respect of the station in a short time frame. He was intrigued by that.

The fact that she was becoming a friend of Jane's had surprised him. Not in the sense that Jane couldn't make friend. But more in the sense that Jane usually didn't take to new people as quickly as it appeared that she was taking to the doctor standing in front of him. He knew Jane to be an excellent judge of character so for Maura to have the impact on his sister that she clearly was having Frankie just seemed to accept that the doctor was pretty special. He had looked forward to officially meeting her all week.

He smiled at Maura and greeted her. "Dr. Isles," and his smile was genuine. "I'm glad to finally meet you. I've heard excellent things about you down at the station."

"It's nice to meet you too," Maura returned his smile. She seemed surprised that an officer on midnights would have heard anything at all about her.

Angela looked at everyone. "Dinner will be ready in about 10 minutes. Has anyone heard from Tommy?" Jane, Frankie and Frank all shook their heads. Maura couldn't help but notice the look exchanged between the three as they shook their heads. It wasn't a look she understood and she made a mental note to ask Jane about it later when they were alone.

The group all sat in the living room and chatted before dinner was ready. Conversation flowed easily and it wasn't hard to keep Maura involved and engaged in the topics. Angela excused herself to get dinner on the table and finally called everyone to the table. Frank, Frankie and Jane all stood up and Jane stopped in front of a still seated Maura. She offered her hand to Maura to help her up and Maura accepted it.

She looked around and then back at Jane with a confused look on her face.

"What?" asked Jane.

"Aren't we going to wait for your other brother?" Maura asked.

Jane dropped her eye contact from Maura for just a minute. She hadn't really tried to explain Tommy to Maura yet so she didn't quite know how to start that conversation right before dinner. She looked back at Maura simply said, "Tommy isn't exactly the most...reliable one in the family. He knows when dinner starts. We tend to not hold things for him."

Maura knew enough to know that there was a story lurking behind that answer but it would be again something she figured she would just ask Jane at some other time. Both women made their way into the dinner room and Maura couldn't believe the amount of food that was out on the table. She turned to speak to Jane asking in a lowered tone, "Just how many people was your mother expecting to be hosting?"

Jane snickered under her breath. "Ma can't help herself. She cooks enough to feed an army each week." The casualness of Jane's answer made Maura smile.

Dinner was excellent. Conversation continued without a hitch and Maura quickly found herself at complete ease around all of the Rizzolis. She listened to each recount amusing Jane stories and was pleased to see Jane enjoying the night as much as she was.

Maura found herself talking and answering questions from everyone with an ease she hadn't experienced before. For as many Rizzoli family tales they all shared, Maura found herself telling several stories about her travels in Europe and her time in San Francisco. As dinner came to an end it was clear that everyone was having a good time.

Angela was just starting to pour coffee for everyone when they all heard the front door open. Maura turned just in time to see a look being exchanged between Frankie and Jane. The carefree vibe that had existed all throughout dinner seemed to immediately vanish and Maura was unsure as to why. She was about to get her answer.

"Ma? Pop?" came a shout from the front room.

"In here," Angela hollered out. "You are late."

Tommy staggered into the dining room and it was immediately apparent to everyone that he was drunk. He looked around at everyone and had a confused look on his face. "Dinner is at 6," he slurred.

"Tommy, it's almost 7," answered Frank. "You are late."

Tommy attempted to look at his watch but he wasn't wearing one so he just stared at his wrist for a few too many seconds. "Well shit," he mumbled. "I guess I am late then."

Jane and Frankie exchanged another look and this one Maura thought she understood. It was a look of resignation and Maura knew this was not the first time a scene like this had been played out in this house. Being the outsider, Maura didn't say a word. She simply sat next to Jane and watched Jane for a clue as to what to do next.

"Do you want some dinner?" Angela asked her youngest son. "I can heat you up a plate." Maura was taken by the motherly tone in which Angela spoke with.

Tommy staggered to his seat and plopped down in the chair. "I don't need any food. Is there any more wine?"

"I think you've already had enough Tommy," interjected Jane in a tone Maura hadn't heard from her before. Bitter with a hint of anger.

"Don't be telling me when I've had enough Jane," Tommy snapped back. He spoke without turning his attention towards Jane but eventually did and that was when he noticed Maura for the first time.

He blinked several times almost as if he was trying to make sure there was someone actually next to Jane. He stared at Maura and for the first time all night Maura started to feel uncomfortable with the scrutiny that was attached to his stare. She shifted nervously in her seat. She felt Jane react to her and she could see Jane stiffen in her chair as well.

"Well hello there," Tommy got out directing a smile at Maura. "And who might you be?"

Before Jane could say anything Maura answered. "I'm a friend of your sister. Maura Isles."

Tommy continued to stare and smile at Maura. His eyes seemed to fix onto Maura and no one else. There was a noticeable tension in the dining room.

"Tommy, let your mother fix you a plate. I think you could use the food," Frank stated trying to get Tommy's attention.

Tommy maintained his stare at Maura and ignored his father. Angela got up to fix a plate for her youngest child. Maura couldn't help but feel Tommy continue to stare and the sudden quiet around the table was more than a little tense.

"So Maura," Tommy broke the silence. "How do you know my sister?"

Maura looked at Jane almost wanting to ask if she should even try to converse with him considering he was intoxicated. Jane sensed Maura's discomfort and tried to help the situation. "Maura and I," she started but Tommy cut her off.

"Jane..." he whined. "I was talking to your friend here. Your very, very pretty friend." He looked at Jane and held up a finger to his lips. "Ssshhhhh...she was gonna answer me." He turned to look at Maura again. "Don't mind Jane. She's a bit rude sometimes."

"I work with Jane at the station," Maura offered as an answer.

"A hot chick like you is a cop?" Tommy exclaimed his eyes almost bugging out of his head.

"She's our medical examiner," Frankie answered back as he too was trying to help out Maura.

"Ohhhh, so it's Dr. Maura?" Tommy asked as if that made more sense than Maura being a cop. Before anyone could really react Tommy was up from his chair and practically on top of Maura. Draping himself all over her he tried to grab her hand. "I could use a full examination Doc," he had found Maura's hand and was attempting to pull it towards his crotch but his movements were suddenly stopped and before Maura even knew what was happening Jane had her youngest brother pinned up against the wall with his arm twisted behind his back.

Frank and Frankie had stood up to help pull Tommy back but Jane had beat everyone to him and was in complete control of the situation. She spoke in a tone Maura had never heard come from Jane before. "Listen carefully Tommy because I'm going to say this once. First, you will apologize to Maura for being an ass." Tommy went to say something but Jane put pressure on his arm pushing him harder into the wall and he quickly closed his mouth. "Second, you will apologize to Ma and Pop for ruining dinner. And third, Frankie is going to take you upstairs and you are going to sleep it off. Is there anything about that you don't understand?"

Tommy was quiet for a minute and Jane again put pressure on his arm. "No," he said through gritted teeth.

Jane pulled Tommy away from the wall and turned him towards Maura who was still sitting at the table. "Apologize."

"Sorry," he spit out.

Jane was nowhere near satisfied with that effort. She pushed up on his arm again yanking back on his neck a little and spoke. "Now actually apologize and mean it."

Tommy relented and looked at Maura. "I'm sorry," and there was at least some sincerity behind that try. Maura didn't answer but slightly nodded her head.

Angela had entered the dining room and while she didn't witness what had occurred that was the cause of what she was watching she was pretty sure she could guess something close to what had transpired. She was about to say something when Jane turned Tommy towards her and spoke. "Apologize."

Tommy must have figured he had no real way out of his situation but to comply with Jane's requests. He conceded again. "I'm sorry Ma," he said. Angela looked a bit confused but just nodded her head.

Frankie stepped towards Jane and they quickly switched positions. Frankie turned Tommy towards the living room and he marched him out without another word. Angela followed behind them and Frank followed Angela leaving Maura and Jane alone in the dining room. Once Tommy was completely out of the room Jane was immediate crouching down in front of Maura.

"Maura, I'm so sorry. Are you ok? He didn't hurt you did he?" she asked grabbing Maura's hand trying to make sure Tommy hadn't grabbed her too hard.

"I'm fine," she said. And she was. She just couldn't help feeling like she had done something wrong.

"I really am sorry. I should have," Jane sighed but looked into Maura's eyes. "I should have prepared you for what may happen with Tommy. I was actually just hoping he wouldn't show up."

Maura took that in. "So, this has happened before?" she asked.

"Oh yeah. Tommy is a drunk," Jane answered without hiding her frustration.

"Jane, don't speak that way about your brother," admonished Angela as she re-entered the dining room.

Jane sighed again in frustration. She didn't want to get into this with Angela. Not in front of Maura. "Ma. You know Tommy has a problem. Don't defend him or what he did tonight."

Angela looked at Maura, "Maura, I am sorry if Tommy was out of line. He's usually a very sweet boy."

"It's alright," Maura said looking up at Angela but not really knowing what else to say or what to do.

"Maura, why don't you go sit with Frankie and my dad in the living room while I help Ma clean up," Jane said. She didn't want Maura pulled into any more family drama than absolutely necessary. Maura agreed and Jane escorted her to the living room and asked Frankie to keep an eye on her. She then went into the kitchen to help her mother clean up.

"Ma, he needs help," she said.

"Jane, he just got a little carried away," Angela said defensively.

"Ma, he gets a little carried away almost daily now. It's not healthy. He's in trouble. You need to see that. We all need to help him," Jane implored. There were times where Angela could admit Tommy had an issue but there were times she made excuses for him.

"He's just going through a rough patch Jane. He can't find a job," she started.

"He doesn't look for a job Ma," Jane said. She loved her brother but he did not possess much of a work ethic. Angela had a very large blind spot when it came to Tommy.

"He's looking Jane. He's told me where he's applying. No one is hiring right now."

"Or no one is hiring a guy with a record," Jane said. She regretted saying it the minute it came out.

"Tommy has served his time Jane. He shouldn't have to continue to pay the price for a mistake."

"I'm sorry Ma. I'm just worried about him. His drinking is getting worse. Not better." Jane had hoped that as Tommy got older he would mature and maybe stop with the alcohol. But over the last year things had gotten worse not better.

Angela was quiet for awhile as they were clearing the dishes. She finally spoke. "You really think he needs help. Like help help?"

"Yeah Ma. I do. I really think he's in for some serious problems if he doesn't stop drinking."

Angela sighed and nodded but was done talking about Tommy for a while. She decided to switch topics and lighten the mood in the kitchen. "Maura is really nice," she said.

Jane recognized the change of topic tactic and was glad they were done talking about Tommy. Jane found she couldn't help but smile and relax a little as the topic shifted to Maura. "She really is," Jane said.

Angela noticed Jane's entire demeanor change just at the mention of Maura. She had to stop herself from smiling too much. She knew her daughter well enough to know she could get defensive if Angela did or said the wrong thing.

"You two seem to have hit it off quite well," Angela pointed out. Jane knew a lot of people and even had a lot of friends but she knew her daughter didn't let a lot, if any, of those friends in real close to her. But Maura seemed to be different. The way Jane talked with her and even about her was unlike anything Angela had heard or seen from Jane. The dynamic of the relationship forming between the two women intrigued Angela.

Jane smiled reflecting on the time she had spent with Maura so far. "Yeah, we have. I don't know. I'm not really sure I can explain it but we just sort of get each other." She was more talking out loud than specifically answering her mother's comment.

Angela hesitated for a moment before she turned and looked at Jane. She wasn't sure if she should say what she wanted to say next. Theirs was a very delicate relationship. Angela always walked a pretty tight line on when and where she made comments about certain aspects of her daughter's life. But she found herself needing to say something and decided to take a chance. The worst thing that could happen was that Jane would just ignore her.

"Jane," she started and turned herself so she could completely face her daughter, "you know that all I want for you, for the boys, is for you all to be happy."

Jane was quiet for a minute but then finally answered, "I know Ma. I know."

Encouraged that Jane at least seemed to be listening to her, Angela continued. "Jane, we never talk about this and that's fine. I'm not really asking us to now. But I need to know that you know something. So I'm going to say this but all I want from you is just to know that you hear what I'm saying." She paused to make sure she had Jane's complete attention. "Your father and I love you. All of who you are. I just need you to know that we both will want for you whatever, and whoever, makes you happy."

Her mother was right. They never really talked about any of this. Jane didn't make it a habit of discussing her private life, or at least the details, with anyone. Not even her family. But Jane understood what Angela was trying to say. She understood the subtle message her mother was hinting at. Part of her was surprised. Not at what her mother was saying but that she had chosen that night to say it. Part of her was touched. Touched that her mother loved her and accepted her no matter what. That truly meant the world to her.

She hadn't said much and she wasn't ready to say more. Not yet. Not that night. But she looked at her mother and did say one thing. "I love you too Ma," and with that she pulled her mother in for a quick but meaningful embrace.

Angela held on as long as Jane would allow before composing herself and backing away from her. Clearing her throat she spoke, "Now, go rescue Maura from your father and brother. They are probably trying to convert the poor girl into a Red Sox fan or something," Angela said with a smile.

What neither Jane nor Angela had been aware of was that Maura was standing just outside of the kitchen. She had gotten up to check to see if she could be of any help to either woman. She had heard their entire conversation. While she felt bad about the incidental eavesdropping, she hadn't wanted to interrupt Jane's conversation with her mother, she could not stop the smile that had spread across her face as she heard the interaction between mother and daughter. She quickly descended back into the living room before Jane came looking for her.

**A/N Thanks for all the follows, favorites, reviews and support for this story so far. You guys, as usual, are amazing. **

**You all have been very patient and accepting of this story. You have allowed me to virtually hit a reset button on what we all knew as R&I cannon and these first few chapters have been my attempt to re-introduce you to several characters as all of them are in a slightly different place than where you may be used to finding them. Thank you for letting me rollout parts of this story in the manner I have to this point.**

**But, the concept of this story is about change and consequences (both good and bad) of change. Those consequences are both emotional and event driven. Some of you are wondering when 'the other shoe is going to drop' and the answer to that is: soon. **

**The coming chapters will start to paint the picture of how events in the world of R&I change as a result of Jane's avoidance of an altercation with Hoyt. That has not been forgotten. And there will be consequences to that. But I wanted to set up a foundation for both Jane and Maura before I tackled other changes.**

**Your patience is appreciated as I take you on this journey. Thanks for reading and I hope you all continue to enjoy how this story progresses.**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Both Jane and Maura were quiet on the drive back to Maura's. Each had thoughts running through their minds. As it turns out, both ladies were thinking along the same lines. Both were letting their minds wander over what had occurred over the course of dinner and after.

Maura hadn't meant to linger outside the kitchen entry while Jane and Angela were talking. She hadn't meant to listen in on a private conversation. But she did linger. And she had heard. And now it was all she could think about. Unless she had taken the conversation entirely out of context Maura was sure she had heard Angela attempting to tell Jane she was ok with anyone Jane would want to be with. Maura was pretty sure Angela was trying to tell Jane she would be ok if that anyone was a woman.

But Maura didn't trust her ability to read people or social situations. She wasn't sure if that's where Angela had meant for the conversation to go. She wasn't even sure if Jane was attracted to woman. Maura found herself wondering if that was just what she wanted Angela to be telling Jane. That she wanted Jane to be attracted to her and she was hoping Angela was trying to tell Jane she wouldn't have an issue with that.

She just didn't know. Not for sure. She knew she felt an attraction. That was definite. From the moment she met Jane she had been taken by her beauty. But it was more than that. Jane was the first person Maura ever felt completely comfortable with. From the very beginning there was just something about Jane that felt different to Maura. But different in just a wonderful way Maura couldn't really understand it.

Maura had been with both men and women in the past but this seemed completely different to her. The others were only about physical needs. Her time and interactions with Jane revolved more around the emotional side and felt deeply personal. No one person to that point in her life had ever made her feel the things she was feeling when she was around Jane. And because of that Maura was not sure what she should do next.

She had always been naturally comfortable with the notions and functions of sex and sexuality. Almost to the point of being clinical about the entire concept. That comfort level seemed to allow her a level of confidence in herself and in various situations. A sense of confidence that she now found to be lacking when it came to her thoughts about Jane.

She felt as if Jane was attracted to her. She wanted to believe there were several occasions where the two had exchanged a look or a glance that Maura interpreted as suggestive bordering on wanting. That the times she caught Jane staring at her there was desire behind the look. She wanted Jane to be spending as much time thinking about her as she was thinking about Jane. But to that point, she just wasn't sure.

Her biggest fear was that she was misreading what she thought she saw in Jane's reactions and responses to her. Given her lack of friends in life she didn't have much to use as a baseline comparison that would help her understand what the exact dynamic that was forming between them. She couldn't let herself be wrong about this. She couldn't put at risk the friendship that she was sure was developing between them. So for now she resolved to wait and see.

R&I

As Jane drove she let the conversation she had with her mother replay in her head. The conversation had been as close as the two had ever come to discussing Jane's sexuality. She had been pretty convinced for years that her mother at least suspected that she might be gay. But she had never, to that point, confirmed or denied that fact to her mother. To Jane it wasn't that simple. She didn't see herself as a label. Labels seemed too set. Too defined. And Jane felt neither set nor defined. There were times she found herself attracted to both sexes so she was happier not attaching a label to herself.

It wasn't something Jane was avoiding. It just was something she didn't talk about. It was something that she long ago knew was no one else's business but hers. Jane, at heart, was an extremely private person. She always had been. She didn't discuss deeply personal things with anyone in her life. Not friends. Not family. She just wasn't wired that way.

She was social. She had friends. She even had a few people she would call close friends. But when it came time to talking about personal matters she never felt comfortable talking with anyone about herself. Her deep intimate thoughts, feelings and beliefs were just that. Intimate. Private. Hers. It wasn't any issue of denial or hiding. She just didn't flaunt her preferences or discuss her private life.

Some of that was because of her profession. She was trying to make it in a 'man's world' without trying to be judged on things that were not related to her job performance. She wanted to be respected for how she did her job not defined by who she chose to sleep with. She was always annoyed with the cliches and stereotypes that seemed to follow her through the academy and her time as a beat cop. All she wanted was to be seen as a good detective not someone labeled by her sexual preference.

She was comfortable in her own skin. She was happy with who she was. To her, that was all that ever mattered. As she got older she found people asked less and it didn't seem to matter as much. She found she had achieved what she had wanted. She had the respect of the station. Respect she had earned from working hard and doing a good job. She had managed to break into the 'boy's club' without the help or hinderance of any kind of sexual identity.

She had achieved what she had wanted to achieve without having to justify herself or her lifestyle to anyone. Friend, family or co-worker. She lived her life the best she could but she never sought permission or approval. She wanted support. She wanted acceptance. But she would never ask for it. She would earn it. Which she had done repeatedly over the years.

So when the moment came that night and her mother offered up what seemed to Jane as unconditional support and acceptance, it touched Jane deeply. She would tell her mother her preferences if Angela ever asked. But she wouldn't throw it out there if she wasn't asked. Her mother's implied sentiment that night made Jane consider the woman sitting next to her.

Jane was strongly attracted to Maura. She was captivated by her beauty but it was more than that. Maura had an effect on Jane no other person had ever had before. Jane felt relaxed and comfortable around Maura. She found herself talking more about her thoughts and feelings than she had ever done in the past.

Jane wanted Maura to be a part of her life. She wanted Maura in her life. She found herself wanting to know everything about Maura she could. She felt an unbelievable connection with her and she was pretty sure Maura felt something similar.

She hoped Maura was attracted to her as well. She thought she was. There had been enough stares, glances and looks exchanged between to convince Jane that Maura was indeed interested in her. Jane felt more and more confident about the attraction being mutual the more time they spent together. Jane just knew she needed to work up the nerve to do something to prove or disprove her belief.

R&I

Before either one of them realized it, Jane had arrived back at Maura's house. The entire car ride back had been in complete silence but neither seemed to have noticed. Jane broke the silence as she put the car in park. "I feel as though I need to apologize to you for tonight," she said as she turned to face Maura.

"I had a wonderful time. You don't owe me any apologizes. If anything, I owe you a thank you for introducing me to your family," Maura replied.

Jane dropped her eyes from Maura's. "But I should have prepared you for Tommy. I just didn't. I think part of me didn't want you to have a negative impression of him. He's actually a decent guy when he isn't drinking. But I know he was a jerk tonight and I am sorry."

"Jane," Maura said reaching out to take Jane's hand. "I don't have a negative opinion about your brother. I'm fine. He didn't hurt me. Granted he didn't come across as a gentleman but that was the alcohol. Does he really have an issue?"

"Frankie and I think he is an alcoholic. Ma and Pop just think he's immature and that he'll grow out of it." She sighed and looked up at Maura. "He's had two DUIs already. His driver license is suspended. He continues to drink. And drive. And one of these days he is going to really hurt someone."

"That is a distinct possibility if he continues to operate a motorized vehicle while under the influence. Unfortunately though, while alcoholism is a disease, most research finds that until the subject, in this case your brother, wants to admit there is an issue and actively seek help for the problem there is little you or your family can do for him. He has to want to stop before it can get any better."

Jane nodded. "And Tommy doesn't think he has any issues. He tried AA once after his first DUI arrest but he didn't stick with the meetings or the program. He was forced to enter a program after his second DUI but I'm pretty sure he continued to drink all throughout that process. He won't agree to voluntary rehab and Ma certainly won't commit him."

"Until he can admit to himself that he has a problem none of that would do him much good anyway," Maura said not quite sure what else she could say to make Jane feel better.

"I know. I get that. I do. But I worry about him," she looked again at Maura. "Are you really sure that you are ok? I know he grabbed your wrist."

Maura held up the wrist in question and flexed it a few times to show Jane she was fine. "He didn't hurt me. You were on him fast enough to let anything happen." She couldn't help the smile as she thought about how quickly Jane had come to her rescue. She'd never seen anyone move so quickly.

"I'd never let anyone hurt you," Jane said almost as a reflex but the absoluteness of the statement was undeniable. They both exchanged a look and Jane was thankful she was still seated. Had she been standing she was pretty sure her knees may have given out on her.

"Your brother notwithstanding," Maura said, "I really did enjoy meeting your parents." She was quiet for a minute before speaking again. "Can I ask you something?"

Jane looked at her, "Anything."

"Did you always eat dinner together as a family when you were growing up? Dinner like tonight?"

Jane didn't miss the flash of sadness that passed over Maura as she asked. "Yeah. Ma was big on sit down dinners. Breakfast and lunch were generally fend-for-yourself experiences. But dinner was family time. We had dinner every night at 6 pm and there weren't very many excuses that were ever deemed acceptable for missing dinner."

Maura didn't respond to Jane's answer with anything more than a nod of her head. It was a rare occasion for Maura to dine with her parents when she was a kid. The vast majority of her dinners were either shared with the nanny or Maura simply would dine alone. Watching Jane's family interact all throughout the night Maura caught a brief glimpse of something she completely missed out on as a child.

Jane hadn't gotten too many of the details of Maura's childhood to that point. She knew Maura was adopted and that her parents traveled extensively. She knew Maura attended boarding school in Europe from a fairly young age. With questions like the one she just asked, Jane was quickly getting the sense that Maura's childhood was by no means a happy one. In fact she was pretty sure it was a very lonely one.

Jane felt bad for the things she was starting to think Maura missed out on. And she was baffled by it all. How could anyone not want to spend time with Maura? Especially her parents. People who were supposed to love her and care for her. Jane, who knew the closeness of her family was generally a rare thing, still just couldn't understand how someone could ever chose not be around the woman who so completely fascinated her.

Looking over at Maura Jane again saw a look a sadness on her face. It was in that moment that Jane felt as if she wanted to spend the rest of her life trying to ensure that Maura never felt that kind of sadness ever again. It was all it took for her to do what she had wanted to do from the time she first meet the doctor.

"Maura?" she asked with just a hint of nervousness.

"Yes?" Maura replied and looked up to meet Jane's eyes.

"Would you maybe want to go out with me sometime? On a date? I mean, it's totally fine if you don't want to or if you aren't interested. I mean I don't want to make you feel like you have to say yes if you don't want to. And it's completely ok if you don't want to. I promise I won't be mad and we can still continue to just be friends as I do think we are becoming friends which is really great because I really like you and I will always want to be your friend but I have to be honest with you and tell you that I'm pretty sure I'm starting to really like you and I mean that in such a 'more than friends' kind of way and I'd like to see you outside of work and get to know you and all of that but just the two of us instead of trying to throw in my folks or the guys from the station like when we stop for drinks so I was thinking that maybe if you feel at all interested we could maybe just go have dinner together to see if there is anything more to th.."

Jane was stopped from further rambling by Maura's lips.

Before Jane could hit a reset switch in her mind Maura had leaned across the car and kissed her. It took a fraction of a second for Jane to catch on to what was going on. After that fraction of a second Jane's mind cleared and she kissed back. The kiss, which started out a bit timid, quickly turned full and definitive.

Maura was sure in the moments leading up to the kiss that she hadn't witnessed anything more adorable than Jane's rambling attempt to ask her out. Just as she was sure that she had never kissed lips quite as soft, quite as full or quite as intoxicating as the ones she was fully appreciating in that moment.

Jane couldn't remember ever having the kind of reaction to a kiss as the one she was having in that moment. She had heard the Hollywood cliches about fireworks and sparks but she had always thought it was just that. A cliche. In the brief moments her lips were firmly pressed up against those in front of her she found herself being forced to give up on that belief. In that moment, she was absolutely convinced that if she had bothered to open her eyes she would have seen fireworks spraying above them. The sensations derived from kissing Maura were more than she could have imagined.

When they finally broke for air Maura looked at Jane. "Yes." It was all she said. But then again, it was all she needed to say.

R&I

As Tommy rolled over on the bed and slowly started to wake he tried to figure out why it felt as if someone was using a jackhammer on his head. Everything hurt. His entire body felt like he had been run over by a truck. His stomach was threatening to revolt against him too.

He hadn't let his eyes open. Mostly because he knew the light would hurt his head and he was trying to avoid that added torment for as long as possible. He rolled over again trying to piece together what he remembered about the night before. He was fairly certain that he was in his old room at his parent's home.

As he let his mind piece together events from the day before he remembered he had planned on joining the family for dinner. There was something about meeting a friend of Jane's. He remembered stopping by a friend's house to drop off some tools he had borrowed. He had stayed for a drink. But as he thought about it there had been more than just one drink.

Dinner. He had made it to dinner. His memory was hazy. But as sleep was leaving his body he was fairly certain he had made an ass of himself at the dinner. He flashed onto Jane and knew she had thrown him into the wall for something. He assumed it was for something he said. The regret that was starting to creep into his thoughts was not helping the aches still swirling through his body.

"You may want to take these," a voice spoke. It startled him.

"Wh...?" he grumbled rolling over again and regretfully opening his eyes. He was right about the light. He immediately squeezed his eyes closed again and buried his face into a pillow. "Jane?"

"Hold out your hand," he heard his sister say again.

Instinctively he did just that. He felt the bed dip and knew Jane had sat down. He then suddenly felt her place something in his hand and could feel that it was aspirin. He rolled again and half sat up trying to ignore the lurch of his stomach as he moved. He took the aspirin and reached his other hand out for the bottle of water Jane was offering him. He took the aspirin and tried to drink as much of the water as he could stand. He knew he was dehydrated. He finished sitting up and looked at his sister.

"How bad?" he asked.

"You did a pretty decent job making an ass of yourself at dinner," she answered.

He dropped his eyes still trying to piece everything together. "What did I say?"

"It was more what you tried to do," she replied.

He was quiet for a minute trying to think. And then an image came to him. "Oh God, did I attack your friend?"

Jane watched him as he was connecting the jumbled pieces of the night before. "Attack is a little harsh. But you did grab her and attempt to get her to grab you." Jane didn't even try to hide her anger at that.

"Oh Janie, I'm sorry. Did I...did I hurt her?"

Jane shook her head. "No. You scared her but you didn't hurt her."

Neither spoke for a minute until Tommy broke the silence. "I'm sorry."

"The thing is, Tommy, you are always sorry the morning after. I even believe that you are sorry the morning after. What I don't understand is why we continue to have mornings after with you. When are you going to admit there's an issue and get some help?"

"Look Jane, I don't..." he started but Jane cut him off.

"Don't Tommy. Don't even try to finish that sentence. I can't do this anymore. I can't keep having this conversation with you. You have a problem. Your drinking is a problem."

Tommy dropped his eyes but didn't answer.

"I want to help you Tommy. But you have to want to help yourself first. I can't do that for you. Ma and Pop can't do that for you. Frankie can't do that for you. You are going to have to want to change and want the help." Jane stood up and headed for the door. Turning she added one last thing. "I don't know if you will ever want that help. But if you do, I'll be there for you."

She walked out of the room without waiting for him to say anything else.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

_"Your Honor, the defense would like to renew it's objection to the forensic evidence gathered in this case. We feel the errors committed by the Medical Examiner's office should compel Your Honor to disregard any and all forensic evidence for this case and that the charges against my client should be dropped and this case should be dismissed without prejudice."_

_"Your Honor, this is preposterous. I would remind the Defense that his pre-trial motions for suppression have already been ruled upon and this current objection is both out of line and a waste of the Court's time."_

_"Counselors, in my chambers. Now."_

Thirty minutes later both lawyers returned to the court and the DA pulled Maura aside whispering to her. Jane watched the interaction and had a feeling that the call order for testimony was about to shift. Both Jane and Maura had been set to testify during the preliminary hearing for Charles Hoyt on the same day. The DA was supposed to have called all of the detectives involved in the investigation and apprehension of Hoyt to offer in testimony first. He was then going to follow up with Maura's testimony and offer up the forensic evidence for the judge to consider. His ultimate goal was to get the trial remanded to a full trial and a secondary goal was to try to entice the defense to pursue a plea to avoid the hassle of a jury trial.

The day had not started as planned. The evidentiary objection Hoyt's defense attorney raised happened earlier than what the DA had anticipated. He knew the objection was coming but he thought he would at least be able to lay down the investigation foundation with the judge before he would have to defend the collection methodology and the re-analysis of the bodies that Maura had conducted. With the objection coming when it did the DA was prepared but it would require a shuffle of the witness order.

_"The State calls Dr. Maura Isles." _

It wasn't the order in which he had wanted to proceed but the questions needed to be addressed and he had agreed to start with the ME to appease the judge.

Dr. Maura Isles was about to become the chief witness in the State of Massachusetts versus Charles Hoyt murder, rape and kidnapping trial. The DA knew whether the case was remanded over for trial was going to rest on shoulders of the Chief Medical Examiner for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. An ME that had not, to this point, given testimony in any court in the state of Massachusetts.

_"Dr. Isles, if you would could you please give the Court an overview of your education and medical background."_

Maura had, on numerous occasions, given testimony in a court of law. She was quite comfortable sitting in the witness box and explaining the evidence and findings from her work or that of her lab. She had come to earn a reputation as an excellent witness during her time in San Francisco. So much so that most defense lawyers found her name on the witness list extra incentive to plea bargain out their client's cases rather than have Maura testify.

_"I received my MD as well as a PhD in Forensic Pathology from Harvard University. I have PhDs in both Physiology and Biochemistry from the University of California San Francisco. I am Board Certified in Pathology and Internal Medicine. I was a medical examiner in San Francisco for four years until I accepted my current position as Chief Medical Examiner for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts which I have held for seventy one days."_

_"Dr. Isles, the Defense has raised an objection to the forensic evidence collected and analyzed by the Medical Examiner's office. Will you please describe for the Court the circumstances of your first introduction to this case."_

As clinical and exact as Maura was during interactions with people on a daily basis, she was even more so when offering testimony in court. And where that was not always greeted as wanted or understood in the normal day to day functions of Maura's life, it was the perfect demeanor and skillset to possess as a witness in a court of law. She was concise and to the point. She found a way to explain the complexities of scientific findings in such a manner that each member of the jury found understandable. And what was even better was she had a genuine sincerity when sitting in the chair that just made everyone not only believe her but like her as well. She was the perfect expert witness.

_"I was first introduced to this particular case on my first day of employment as Chief Medical Examiner. I was called to a meeting attended by yourself, Captain Higgins and Lieutenant Cavanaugh. During that meeting I was given a briefing on the current status of the case files and investigation of the five identified victims."_

_"And what were you told about the case status?"_

_"I was informed that the there was a concern that the initial medical examiner, Dr. Pike, had not done a sufficient and thorough job with his examination and it was requested that I review his work and redo the examinations if I deemed that step to be necessary."_

_"And did you review the work completed to date?"_

_"Yes."_

_"And what was your assessment of that work?"_

_"My initial assessment of the work that Dr. Pike had completed was that it was of poor quality. It lacked overall focus and attention to detail. The notes and lab reports were incomplete or riddled with assertions and conclusions not founded in scientific scrutiny or review. I found the work to be of unacceptable quality and I was left to conclude that the use of any of that information would be a dereliction of my duties as the Chief ME."_

If an answer didn't help the prosecution Maura didn't care. She gave it anyway. Because it was the truth. Her job wasn't to make the prosecution's case. Her job was to handle the science and for Maura the science always spoke for itself. She didn't judge. She didn't guess. She didn't give half answers or offer one aspect of something. She told the court everything she did, everything she knew and what, exactly, it all meant regardless of which side of the courtroom it helped.

San Francisco had learned what an asset Maura was in court. Boston was about to find this out for themselves. Like in most endeavors, Maura was about to out perform the DA, the defense attorney and the judge. Simply by being herself.

_"Having reached this conclusion Doctor. Would you please describe for the Court what actions you took?"_

_"I informed your office and Captain Higgins that it was my intent to start over and redo the autopsies for the three victims still in the Commonwealth's possession. I then proceeded to redo each of those autopsies."_

It was immediately clear to the entire courtroom that she was something they had never expected or witnessed before. From the minute the DA asked his first question Maura had everyone's attention. It first most of the room was just taken by her beauty. But then she started giving her answers and that's what held everyone's attention. Typically a courtroom had a lot of random activity. People moving about, lawyers writing notes or flipping through papers. But Maura seemed to possess the power to stop it all. Everyone's attention was on her and what she was saying.

_"Objection. Your Honor, in light of the fact that Dr. Isles has admitted that the victims were contaminated and chain of custody was breached it is clear that any evidence derived from the work of Dr. Isles should be dismissed as invalid and inadmissible."_

_"Excuse me Sir but that is not what I said. I freely admit that my opinion of the quality of the work performed by Dr. Pike was not to my standard or the standards I expect for my lab to produce. I also freely admit that I found Dr. Pike's conclusions to be flawed and in several cases inaccurate. I will not agree with you, however, that there was any contamination of the bodies of the three victims that were still in our morgue. Those bodies were housed and maintained to the standards set by the American Board of Forensic Pathology. Those protocols were never breached and there is no evidence of any breakdown or breach in the chain of custody for the victims. I merely stated that it was my opinion that the work completed by Dr. Pike was to be of no benefit to me and it would be best if I simply start from scratch."_

_"Objection overruled."_

_"Dr. Isles, will you please describe for the Court exactly what you did and found when you conducted your autopsy on Rebecca Ostrowski."_

The defense attorney tried one time to challenge something Maura had tried to establish. It was a mistake he would only make once that day. Maura respectfully listened to his objection but then quickly, but simply, redressed the lawyer for misinterpreting her testimony. With her clarification was what she said the entire courtroom seemed to understand quickly that the Defense was wrong and most started to believe he should be quiet and let the ME give her testimony.

She walked the entire room through her involvement with the case. She spoke the confident truth when explaining the shortcomings of the work Dr. Pike had performed prior to her arrival and taking the Chief ME post. She never tried to hide or excuse the ineptitude of Pike or the office before she was given the reigns. She explained in perfect detail exactly what she did from start to finish when it came to each procedure and process and she outlined what each forensic discovery was and what it meant.

No one in that courtroom had ever seen anything like the testimony offered up by Maura. No one. Not even the judge. He found it so compelling that by the time Maura was excused from the witness stand the judge ordered both the DA and the defense attorney back into his chambers for a consultation. Ten minutes later the judge was back and he immediately ruled that the State had offered up sufficient evidence to remand the case over for trial. A trial date was set and the courtroom was dismissed. No other prosecution witness was needed to offer up testimony. And everyone in the room understood it was all due to Maura.

Everyone.

Including Charles Hoyt.

Everyone in that courtroom failed to notice Hoyt's reaction to Maura. Everyone missed that he, too, was enthralled with the medical examiner. They missed the stare. They missed that he wouldn't even allow himself to blink as she talked for fear of missing something she did or said. They missed the truly sinister look that swept across his face as she continued throughout her narrative.

Everyone in that courtroom missed the fact that the psychopathic serial killer had almost instantaneously become fixated on Boston's Chief Medical Examiner.

Everyone missed it.

Including Jane.

R&I

All the key players in the Hoyt investigation ended up at the Dirty Robber for drinks after court was dismissed. Everyone was in a celebratory mood. Each detective understood that there had been a decent possibility that the judge could have ruled in favor the the defense's objection to the methodology in collecting the evidence against Hoyt. They were all worried the majority of the charges against Hoyt could have been thrown out.

But not one was changed. The judge remanded the case and given the performance they had all witnessed from their medical examiner all the detectives were starting to place bets on how long it was going to take before the defense attorney worked out a plea agreement with the DA.

"Doc, I've been around for a long time. I've seen the inside of a courtroom more times than I can possibly count. And I just have to say I have never seen anything like what you did today. You were simply brilliant," Korsak said to Maura.

Jane, Maura and Vince were all sitting at a table chatting. Maura smiled that the detective. "I simply answered the DA's questions and explained what our lab did," Maura said trying to dismiss the level of praise Korsak had offered.

"It was more than that," Jane chimed in with a smile on her face. She couldn't hide her enthusiasm when addressing Maura. "I agree with Korsak. I've never seen an entire courtroom pay so much attention to a witness before."

"Dr. Isles, you were compelling. You took very complicated information and explained it in a way that I even understood the specifics. Hoyt's lawyer will be crazy if he doesn't work out a plea. There's not a jury on the planet that wouldn't find him guilty after listening to you present testimony."

"I would so love not to have to testify," Jane added. Although she was the one that initially found Catherine Cordell she hadn't looked forward to taking the stand and explaining to a jury how Hoyt knocked her out while in the basement. She never wanted anyone thinking she couldn't do her job.

"I couldn't have made that much of a difference," offered up Maura.

"Are you kidding me?" Jane asked incredulously. "Maura, you were great. The defense will plea this out for sure." Jane didn't hold back the little bit of pride in her tone.

Korsak excused himself to get the three another round of drinks. As he was leaving Maura looked at Jane. "Why is everyone so impressed with me today?" she asked. She really hadn't seen what was so special about her testimony.

Jane looked at her with a sweet smile. "Maura, you really don't understand do you?" She let Maura shake her head no before continuing. "Ok, let me try to piece this together for you. Do you remember your first reaction to reading the material Pike put together?"

Maura nodded her head, "Yes."

"Ok, was that first initial reaction good or bad?"

Maura thought for a moment. "Well, neither really. I was more confused than anything else."

"Why?" Jane asked.

"Because the information was incomplete, inaccurate and some parts were lacking in scientific merit. Dr. Pike was a trained medical examiner but I couldn't understand why his work didn't seem to reflect any actual understanding of the basic principles of forensic pathology."

"Exactly. Now imagine, given your impression of Pike's work, Pike giving testimony in a court of law to the same standard that his written work was indicative."

Maura thought for a minute and tried to picture that scenario. It finally dawned on her. "Oh!" she said and had a perplexed look on her face.

Korsak returned with more drinks and couldn't help but notice the look on Maura's face. "What's with her?" he asked Jane.

Jane snickered. "She's imagining Pike testifying."

Korsak joined in the laugh. "Trust us Doc. It wasn't a pretty experience."

The three chatted freely for a while enjoying the night and each other's company. Maura and Jane made no overt signs of affection towards each other. They were set to go on their first actual date that weekend but neither seemed willing to give anyone a hint that there could be something going on between them. Maura had found she enjoyed Korsak's company and was relatively at ease speaking with him in a casual setting.

As they chatted Jane's cell rang. She looked quickly at the caller ID and then answered. "Hey Frankie, what's up?"

Maura could almost feel Jane's demeanor change. She turned her attention to Jane and watched as Jane's expression morphed into one she could only describe as anger.

"No," Jane answered. "I'll handle it. I'm heading out now." She disconnected the call and looked at both Korsak and Maura. Korsak looked as if he knew exactly what was going on. Maura had no clue. "I'm sorry guys I need to go," she said as she started to gather her things.

Korsak looked at her and asked, "Tommy?"

Jane simply nodded. She turned to Maura, "I'm sorry. I don't mean to make you leave here early but I was your ride back to your car."

Before Maura could say a word Korsak intervened. "Go Jane. I'll make sure Maura gets to her car."

Jane looked again at Vince and knew he would take care of the ME. She turned again to Maura. "Vince will get you to your car. I'll call you later tonight," she said as she slid out of the booth.

"I can come..." Maura started but Jane cut her off.

"I know you can and I know you are offering. But trust me when I say it's best if I handle this alone. Thank you though," she said and tried to smile but her head was already racing through what dealing with her drunken younger brother was going to mean soon.

Jane nodded to them both and headed out the door. Maura turned to Vince with a confused look on her face. "How did you know that call was about Tommy?" she asked.

Korsak sighed. "Have you met Tommy?" he asked.

Maura nodded, "I had dinner at the Rizzoli's last weekend. I've met the whole family."

"Was he sober?" Vince asked.

"No," Maura said. "In fact Jane had to get physical with him when he tried to grab me."

Korsak shook his head. He shouldn't be surprised by Tommy's antics by now but he was surprised the youngest Rizzoli had tried anything inappropriate in front of Jane. "Tommy's a drunk."

"Jane has told me he has a drinking problem. But that still doesn't explain how you knew that call was about Tommy."

"Jane's facial expression tipped me off. She only gets that look when there is an issue with Tommy."

Maura thought for a in minute. "How often does she get a call like that?"

Korsak looked at Maura and frowned. "Too often."

R&I

Jane pulled up to the bar and got out. She headed toward the entrance pausing to greet the bouncer. "Thanks for the call Jake," she said with gratitude.

"I'm sorry I had to make it to Frankie. But I know you both are trying to do right by him. If you need any help I can get Pete to watch the door."

"Thanks, but I got this," she answered as she entered the bar. It didn't take her long to find him. She could hear him from the parking lot.

"I said I want one more!" he slurred towards the bartender. The bartender was doing a good job ignoring Tommy's demands.

"You've had enough Tommy," answered Jane as she came up to him. "Come on, it's time to go home."

Tommy turned towards Jane, "Janie!" he exclaimed. "Have a drink with me Sis. Paul, come on. One drink for me and my sister."

Paul looked at Jane who shook her head. "No Tommy. It's time to go," she said and moved to place her hand on Tommy's elbow.

"Oh come on Jane. You're no fun. Live a little. Have one drink with me. You never drink with me. We're family. We should do things together. One drink. One teeny, tiny drink."

"Time to go home Tommy," Jane said ignoring his babbles. She knew the routine with him fairly well. Too well.

"I can get myself home," he said.

"You can't drive Tommy. You're drunk and your license is suspended. You can't be driving."

"I can too be driving," he said, "I've got keys." He fished in his pocket and pulled out his car keys dangling the keychain in front of Jane as if that would shut her up. Jane rolled her eyes. He fell for that every time. Before he could stop her she took the keys from him.

"Let's go," she said as she put his keys in her pocket. She made a mental note to not give them back since Tommy clearly couldn't be trusted.

"I don't wanna go," he whined.

"I don't really care what you want Tommy. We are leaving." She increased the pressure she had on his elbow and leveraged herself against him to pull him up from the barstool. "Now."

Jane prepared herself. If Tommy was true to form this would be the time where he would try to get combative and throw a punch at her. Within a few seconds that's exactly what he tried to do. It was almost like a choreographed dance between the two. Jane blocked the punch and had Tommy turned and down on the bar in one fluid motion. Cuffs out and hands quickly linked between the cold steel of her Peerless cuffs.

"Hey," was about all Tommy could get out. No matter how often this scene played out he always seemed genuinely surprised that Jane's reaction was quicker than his own.

Jane pulled out some money to settle Tommy's tab giving enough for Paul to see a decent tip. "Let's go," she said to Tommy as she pushed him forward towards the exit. She threw her keys to Jake who had seen this interaction enough to know Jane needed him to unlock and open her backseat door. Which is what he did.

Jane put Tommy in the car and turned to Jake. "Thanks for the assist," she said.

"Any time Jane," he replied. "You gonna need help at the other end?"

Jane shook her head, "No. I've got that covered."

Jake nodded and handed Jane her car keys. "Sorry about this," he said as he walked back to the entrance.

Jane got into the car and headed out. Tommy was cursing at Jane from the backseat but as she drove he got quieter and quieter until he just passed out. Jane knew that was coming too. She continued on and never even checked on Tommy from the rearview mirror. By this stage in their pattern she no longer needed to.

She pulled up to the house and headed inside. A few minutes later she returned with her father in tow. Both Rizzolis worked to get the youngest out of the car and into the house. They were silent as they did this. Practice made perfect. And they had practiced this.

Once Tommy was inside and up in his room Jane removed the handcuffs. Frank and Jane put Tommy into his bed and then left the room. No one said anything until they were down in the living room and Angela had joined them.

"I'll take his car keys," Frank said. It was part of the routine.

"No Pop. Not this time. I'm keeping them. No license, no car," she said resolved.

Angela nodded. She knew Tommy shouldn't be driving. "Thank you," she said to Jane.

"Guys, he needs help. We need to get him into rehab," Jane was pleading. "Frankie and I can't keep doing this with him."

"He won't go on his own," Angela replied.

"Then we need to force him," Jane stated back.

"Jane, if he doesn't think he has a problem then rehab won't be effective," Frank pointed out.

Jane knew her father was right. Forced rehab wasn't the answer. But it was beginning to feel like it was a better choice than what they were doing currently. "I understand that Pop but we need to do something different. I'm afraid we are losing him."

Frank and Angela looked at each other and then at Jane. "We'll talk to him in the morning," Angela offered.

Jane nodded and headed for the door. She was sure the morning would bring no change in this particular situation. It never did. "Good night," was all she offered as she left.

R&I

Jane waited until she was in her car before she pulled out her cellphone. She scrolled through her contacts until she found the number she was looking for. She highlighted the number and hit send on her phone waiting for the call to be answered.

"Big Mo's towing," the line was answered.

"Mo?" Jane asked.

"Yeah, who is this?" he asked.

"It's Detective Rizzoli," she said.

"Detective! I'm surprised to hear from you. Normally I just get a call from your dispatch. Where do you need me?"

"It's personal this time Mo," Jane replied looking down at Tommy's keys. "Can you meet me at Pour Sports?"

There was silence on the other end. And then, "Tommy?"

Jane sighed. "Yeah, Tommy. I need his car stored for a while."

"I'm heading out right now," Mo replied disconnecting the call.

Jane headed out towards the bar to handle this part of their family's predicament with her brother.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

_Too late to call? J_

Jane had promised Maura she would call her but things with Tommy had taken longer than she anticipated. She wasn't sure if Maura was still awake. So she sent the text message for her instead. She then started to drive home.

_I'm still awake. Are you ok? M_

Jane looked down at the message and smiled. Just looking at a message from Maura made Jane feel better. She became suddenly aware of just how much she wanted, or maybe in her case needed, to hear Maura's voice. Instead of texting back her answer she dialed Maura's number.

"Hi," Maura greeted as she answered.

The sound of a simple one syllable word from Maura was exactly what Jane needed in that moment. "Hi," she tentatively replied back. She put her phone on speaker once she knew Maura was awake enough to talk with her.

"Is everything alright with your brother?" Maura asked not sure if Jane wanted to talk about it or not.

"He's all tucked in and out of trouble for tonight at least," she answered not trying to hide her frustrations. "I'm sorry I had to leave you the way that I did." She hated that Tommy's issues had interrupted some of her time with Maura.

"That's okay," Maura didn't miss the tone of Jane's words so she tried to reassure her. "He's your family and he was in trouble." One of the things she found she liked most about Jane as she had gotten to know her is just how much Jane would do for someone she cared about. Maura had been able to witness several interactions Jane had with family or friends that seemed to repeatedly demonstrate this.

A silence fell between the two that Maura let linger for a few moments. She wished she was sitting in front of Jane so she could see her instead of just talking over the phone. Maura still didn't feel as if she had a good grasp on people interactions and didn't want to miss any clue or social cues from Jane at a time like this. She was sure a conversation like this one would be easier in person than over the phone. "Are you ok?" Maura asked finally needing to check in with Jane.

"Yeah, I'm just..." she stopped not really sure how to proceed.

After a pause that didn't appear to be lifting anytime soon Maura spoke. "Just what?" When silence continued to greet Maura she pressed a little further. "Jane, I hope you know that you can talk to me about anything. I may not always have an answer for you but I'll always want to listen and try to help."

Jane went to say something but the words wouldn't come to her. She felt herself getting close to losing the hold she usually kept on her emotions. Normally, she did a good job of keeping everything tightly in check. Years on the force had helped Jane to be able to process most situations without letting her emotions get the best of her. But she felt that her control on her emotions was slipping.

"Jane?"

The sweet, soft sound of Maura's voice was having a deep effect on Jane. She felt the tears start to build up in her eyes but she was trying to will herself to make them stop. To make them go away. But it wasn't working and Jane recognized that she was about to be overrun with a swell of emotions. As the tears continued to build she was smart enough to pull the car over as her vision was starting to blur. She put the car in park and looked down at the phone in her lap.

"Jane? Are you ok?" Maura repeated with rising concern.

A single sob slipped out from Jane and she tried to stop it. It produced a choky sort of gargled noise that Maura immediately recognized. She knew Jane was fighting herself trying not to cry and she had a feeling Jane was going to lose that fight. And soon.

"Jane, listen to me. I know you can hear my voice. It's ok to cry. It is. But please at least pull the car over. I don't want you to get hurt. Ok? Can you do that? Please pull over and stop the car. Please." Maura was starting to panic. If she knew where Jane was she would have jumped into her car and driven out to her. If Jane was this upset Maura didn't want her to get into any kind of an accident.

Jane heard Maura's request and the concern in her tone. She now could add guilt to the slew of emotions coursing through her. She knew she was freaking Maura out with her behaviour and that was the last thing she had wanted to do. She needed to try to compose herself at least to reassure Maura she wasn't driving down the road like a crazy woman.

"I...parked," she got out hoping that would help settle Maura's anxiety level.

Maura released the breath she was holding. Any words coming from Jane in that moment immediately made Maura feel less panicked. Acknowledging that the car was stopped made her feel even better. Imminent danger seemed to have been avoided.

"Good. Ok. I heard that. Jane, I'm right here. You can talk to me. Or you can cry. Or you can just sit there and compose yourself. It's up to you. The only thing I don't want you to do is hang up the phone. I'm not going anywhere. Even if you don't want to talk. Just don't hang up." She couldn't lose the only connection she had with Jane in that moment.

The warmth and compassion Jane felt from just Maura's voice was overwhelming to her. Maura was reaching her in a way no one had ever gotten through to her before. Jane generally did everything she could to not show any vulnerability or weakness to others but she didn't seem to have that hesitation with Maura. It became the last straw and Jane soon found herself crying freely with the tears that had once been threatening now streaming down her cheeks.

She didn't cry for long. Just long enough to work through some of her pent up frustrations. She suddenly felt ridiculous sitting in her car crying. She knew she needed to compose herself. She wasn't even sure why all of this had such an effect on her. It wasn't like this was the first time she had ever played babysitter/nursemaid to Tommy when he was drunk. She took a few deep breaths trying to ease the tightness she felt in her chest and finally she started to feel as if she was regaining some of her control.

"I'm sorry," she said into the phone after a few more minutes of silence.

"Jane, don't ever apologize for what you are feeling," Maura responded gently.

"I'm just so frustrated and mad and worried about him," Jane said.

"Those are all legitimate feelings Jane. He's your brother. I've been witness to how close you all are as a family. Seeing him struggle has to be hurting all of you."

"I don't know what else to do," Jane admitted. And she didn't. Talking to him hadn't worked. Yelling at him hadn't worked. Trying to ignore the problem hadn't worked. She just didn't know what to do.

"And he has never been to rehab?" Maura asked.

"Like I told you, he tried AA once after his first DUI and he was forced into a program after his second arrest. It wasn't very intense and I'm pretty sure he drank the entire time he was supposed to have stopped. So I would say no. Part of me wants to force him into a program," she sighed.

"Alcoholism is a tricky disease Jane. I don't know of a single program or treatment option that doesn't require the patient to be a willing participant. So if your brother isn't willing to seek treatment nothing forced upon him will ever stand a chance at a long-term success. You said he denies that he even has a drinking problem, didn't you?"

"Yeah," Jane admitted. "According to Tommy he has everything under control and he can quit anytime he wants."

Jane had calmed down enough to feel comfortable starting to drive home again. She wanted to get out of the car. To be in her own place and in her bed. She really wanted to day to be over. She wiped the remaining tears away from her cheeks and she started to drive again.

"Are you sure you are okay to be driving again?" Maura asked.

Jane couldn't help but suddenly smile. "How'd you know I started driving again?"

"I could hear the car was moving," Maura answered but was more concerned with whether it was a good idea for Jane to be mobile again. "Are you alright to drive because I can come and get you."

Jane was touched by the offer. "I'm alright. Thank you though," she said sweetly.

"You can come over if you want," Maura offered not sure if Jane wanted company or if she just wanted some time alone. She at least wanted her to know she could come over if she didn't feel like being alone.

"I appreciate that offer Maura, more than you could possibly know. But I'm almost home and I'm tired. I think it's best that I just try to get some sleep."

Maura completely understood. "That's quite alright but you have to stay on the phone with me until I know for sure you made it all the way home. Deal?"

Had anyone seen the look on Jane's face in the moment they would have seen someone who may have just fallen in love. "Deal," she replied. She wanted to say more but couldn't for a moment. So she changed the subject. "Is there anything specific you would like to do Friday night?" Their first official date was set for Friday but Jane had not yet finalized all of the details.

"Nothing specific but if you need suggestions I'm sure we can come up with some together," Maura replied recognizing the change of subject but allowing Jane to control the conversation as she needed.

Jane chuckled. "I don't need suggestions Doc. I was merely asking if there was something specific you really wanted to do. If not, then you are at my mercy for this date."

Maura smiled for the first time since they started talking on the phone. "Then I believe I will leave myself in your capable hands."

Maura heard Jane's car pull to a stop and heard her car door open. She knew the detective had made it home and their conversation was coming to an end.

"You're home," she pointed out.

"I'm home," Jane confirmed. They both were quiet for a moment until Jane spoke again. "Thank you."

"For what?"

Jane shook her head. Maura truly didn't understand what she had just done for her. "For being you." It was the only answer that was worthy of how Jane felt.

Maura didn't know what to say to that. So she just left it alone. "Good night Jane."

"Good night Maura. I'll see you tomorrow."

R&I

The rest of the week passed without major incident. There didn't seem to be any added drama with Tommy. Jane and Korsak had a new case that occupied most of their time but late Thursday night they caught a break when a witness came forward and helped them identify a suspect. Jane worked through the night gathering enough information to secure an arrest warrant for the suspect.

They made their move in the predawn hours of Friday morning. The arrest of the suspect occurred without incident. Once at the station, Jane was able to break the suspect and get the confession after about an hour of questioning. She was happy to have closed the case but she was also extremely happy that she cleared the case prior to her date with Maura that night.

Looking over at Korsak she spoke, "Can you wrap up some of this paperwork? I'm beat and I need to get some sleep."

Korsak nodded. He wondered when Jane's all-nighter was going to catch up with her. "Go. I've got this," he said with a sympathetic smile. "You're off this weekend too so get some rest and try to have some fun this weekend. You need to de-stress a little."

Jane smiled. Korsak's concern was sweet. He did not know she had a date later that night with Maura. She wasn't in the habit of sharing details of her personal life with her partner and had no desire to change that now. "Tonight's out but do you want to have drinks tomorrow night maybe?"

He smiled. "Robber at 7?"

Clearly that was a yes. "I think that can be arranged." Jane knew she was lucky. She actually liked her partner. They got along at work and Jane trusted him with her life but she also sincerely liked the man and considered him a friend. They both seemed to be alone more than they were ever with anyone so each seemed to make it a point to get the other one out of the house at least once a week.

"Tomorrow it is then." Jane went to grab her blazer to head home when he added one more comment. "You should see if Dr. Isles wants to join us. She might have plans but you should ask if she wants to have a drink with us."

Korsak had found he enjoyed the time he had spent with the ME since she started at the station. There was no mistaking her talent and skills. She had been the best ME he had ever worked with. He also found he wasn't thrown with her ramblings as much as he was when he first met her. He seemed to have just gotten used to that part of her personality and once he did that he truly enjoyed her company.

"I'll check with her and see if she wants to go out," Jane said with a smile. "See you tomorrow." She made her way to the elevators and decided to stop by the morgue before she went home.

She found Maura in her office and before she knocked she took in the sight in front of her. Maura was wearing black scrubs that should have indicated to Jane that she was either just finished an autopsy or was just about to start one. But she didn't really expend any energy on that thought choosing instead to just admire the view. There was no arguing that Maura was a beautiful woman but Jane was becoming completely convinced that there was no better look for Maura than when she was wearing her scrubs.

She took in Maura for a few more seconds before knocking on her door. "Hey Doc," she greeted with a smile.

Maura looked up smiling at the sound of Jane's voice but the smile quickly left her face when she took in Jane's condition. "Periorbital hyperpigmentation is a distinct physiological sign of fatigue," was her greeting for Jane.

"Huh?" Jane asked confused.

"Dark circles under your eyes," Maura pointed out. "The hours you are working aren't allowing for you to get a sufficient amount of sleep."

"Occupational hazard,' Jane acknowledged. Long hours were just part of the job.

"Should we reschedule our plans for tonight?" she asked in a slightly disappointed tone. But Jane looked like she was exhausted and Maura knew she had been at the station all night.

"Not a chance Maura," Jane answered instantaneously. "I'm heading home to get some sleep so I'll be well rested and ready for tonight." She smiled when she saw Maura relax and smile. They both were looking forward to tonight. "I just wanted to tell you I was leaving but I'll be picking you up at 8 tonight."

"Where are we going?" Maura asked. Up till now Jane hadn't given Maura any hints.

"It's a surprise," Jane teased knowing that Maura was going nuts not knowing.

"But how am I supposed to know how to dress if I don't know where we are going?" She didn't know what she should plan to wear.

Jane chuckled. She should have known that would be Maura's chief source of anxiety. "Casual but not too casual," Jane offered.

"What does that mean?" Maura asked slightly confused.

Jane smiled. "The best I can tell you is that I won't be showing up in jeans and a t-shirt but you aren't going to find me in a dress on your doorstep either. My advice is that you dress in any manner that makes you the most comfortable and you will be just fine."

"That's all you are going to tell me?" she asked trying to get more information out of Jane.

"Yep," Jane replied with a grin. "I'll see you tonight at 8." She walked away towards the elevators.

"Jane? Jane that wasn't very helpful advice," is what she heard as the elevator doors closed. She didn't stop the laugh that came.

R&I

Jane made her way back to her apartment. She was exhausted from working all night but she was nervous and excited about her date with Maura. She was hoping she could get herself to get at least a few hours of sleep. She didn't want to have lack of sleep be a factor in her first date with Maura.

She took a quick shower and climbed into bed. She did a mental run down to make sure all the details and plans for the night were in place as best she could manage. She wanted their date to be special. To be perfect. Maura deserved nothing less than perfection.

Once she was satisfied that she had planned the evening as best she possibly could she burrowed into her covers and tried to slow her thoughts. It took some time but eventually sleep won out for Jane and she didn't wake until her alarm was sounding.

Date night had finally arrived.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

Promptly at 8 pm there was a knock on Maura's door. She hadn't done herself any favors by coming home early. She had been ready to go since 6 and had been pacing around the house trying to not keep looking at the clock every five minutes. She couldn't remember when she had been this anxious about a date. If she thought about it she would probably have to admit she had never been this excited about the prospect of any date she had prior to that night.

So when the knocking sound alerted her that Jane was in fact there it took a conscious effort for Maura not to run to the door to answer it. She forced herself to walk at a normal pace as she made her way to the front door. When she put her hand on the doorknob she released a breath and opened the door.

"Good evening Jane," she greeted as the door swung open.

"Good evening Maura," Jane answered back.

Maura immediately smiled. Jane looked amazing. She was wearing a dark blue button down blouse loosely unbuttoned down to her chest. She had a black camisole underneath and was wearing black dress pants. Her hair was draped over her shoulders and she had an amazing smile. She held up a single pink rose handing it to Maura.

"Thornless," Jane said as Maura accepted the rose. "I didn't want you to hurt your hands." Jane took in Maura's appearance and the flutter of her heart she had come to expect every time she saw Maura made it's expected appearance. Simply breathtaking. Maura was wearing a simple red dress but no dress ever looked 'simple' on her. The dress highlighted all the right curves of Maura's figure and Jane had to force herself not to stare.

Maura smiled and stepped aside letting Jane enter the house. Jane stopped ogling her date and entered the house. "You look great," Maura told Jane.

"You are stunning," Jane replied. Both women exchanged smiles each understanding exactly why the other was causing their heart to race.

Maura headed into the kitchen to get a vase and Jane followed. As Maura was adding water to the vase she heard Jane gasp and then call out. "Am I ever going to get used to seeing your turtle coming at me?"

Maura couldn't contain the laugh. "Bass is a tortoise Jane. I've told you that. I highly doubt that Bass was 'coming at you'. And yes, I would think at some point you will in fact become accustomed to seeing him in his home environment."

"Can't you at least put a bell on him or something. He's always sneaking up on me and it's starting to freak me out a little."

Maura again laughed. "He likes you. He just wants to say hello." She couldn't help the flashback to the first time Jane had encountered Bass.

_The first time Jane ever went to Maura's house was to drop her off after having a few drinks at the Robber. Maura had invited Jane in for a cup of coffee and Jane had accepted. They made their way into the home and Maura headed into the kitchen to start brewing the coffee. Jane had followed. Maura then offered to give Jane a quick tour of the house. It was during this tour that Jane was first introduced to Bass._

_They had just come out of the dining room and were walking towards the living room area when Bass rounded the opposite entryway corner. His presence startled Jane. _

_"What the hell?!" Jane exclaimed turning to Maura and looking confused. "You have a monster turtle walking in your hallway."_

_Maura stifled a giggle. "He's an African Spurred Tortoise Jane. He is not a turtle."_

_"You have a tur...tortoise as a pet?" she asked as she couldn't take her eyes off the turtle who was slowly making his way into the living room seemingly without a care in the world._

_"That's Bass. I've had him since I was ten years old," she said with a smile. _

_Jane finally turned to look at Maura. There was no mistaking the pure affection she had for her turtle. It was etched all over her face as she talked about him. "He's named after Dr. William Bass a prominent forensic anthropologist."_

_As Jane took in the sight of the turtle she found Maura's choice of pet somewhat fitting for what she would describe as Maura's personality. Odd and a bit quirky but in a compelling and adorable way. A monster turtle just seemed to fit. She looked again over to Bass and then back to Maura. "At least he's never given you any noise complaints." She thought about that for a second, "Has he?"_

_Maura freely chuckled. "No. Bass is more the strong silent type," she answered walking on and continuing with the tour of the house._

"So," Jane said pulling Maura from her thoughts. Maura hadn't heard her enter the kitchen. "Ready to go?"

"Yes. But now can you tell me where we are going?" Maura asked.

"You'll just have to wait and see. Come on," Jane said and she extended her hand for Maura to take. The women walked out of the house hand in hand.

R&I

They chatted casually as Jane drove to their destination. Maura had known Jane now for just over two months and she was still surprised at just how easy conversation came between them. She had never felt as at ease with anyone before Jane. She still was not sure about the reason behind that but was grateful for it.

Jane turned down an alley forcing Maura to turn questioning her. They had been in the heart of the city when Jane suddenly took this turn. Jane felt Maura looking at her and smiled. "What?" Jane asked trying to sound innocent.

"Where are you taking me?" Maura asked.

"Just because I may not be going in the front door, don't rush to judgement Dr. Isles," was all Jane offered.

"It's not exactly fair that you know where we are going and I don't," Maura pointed out.

"Well, you can plan our next date if that makes you feel any better," Jane replied.

"What makes you think there will be a second date? That's awfully presumptuous Detective," Maura teased.

Jane smiled as she stopped and parked the car. "I prefer to think of it as being hopefully optimistic." She got out the car and walked around to the passenger side to open the car door for Maura. Maura looked around but unfortunately none of the businesses seemed to have signs on their backdoors so she still had no idea where this first stop had taken them. Jane took Maura's hand in hers again and they walked together towards a door.

Maura was completely confused when Jane knocked on the door instead of just entering. They waited for the someone to answer the door. Within a few seconds the door opened and a tall man wearing a suit answered the door.

"Good evening Detective. Dr. Isles. This way please," he said and turned around walking back towards where he came from. Jane followed without comment and with Maura in tow.

It wasn't until they had made their way into the heart of their location that Maura even realized that they were at a restaurant of some sort. She looked at Jane for an explanation but all Jane did was lead Maura to their table. She pulled out the chair for Maura who took a seat and she let the man who answered the door pull out her seat for her.

Once both women were seated the man from the door turned his attention to Jane. "Alonzo will be out shortly to explain the menu but in the meantime he has pulled several bottles of wine from his personal cellar which he highly recommends."

Jane looked at Maura. "Wine?"

Maura simply nodded still trying to catch up on what was going on. Jane looked at the man and answered, "Tell him I trust his choices and send what he thinks is best." The man nodded and walked towards the kitchen.

As soon as they were alone Maura had to ask. "Jane? Where are we and why are we the only ones here?"

Jane smiled. "I arranged for us to have a private dinner which is why no one else is here."

"You closed the restaurant?" Maura asked surprised.

"Not technically. I didn't." She looked up and saw someone walking towards them. "He did," she finished her thought as she stood up to greet the man walking towards the table.

"Jane," the man exclaimed as he pulled the detective into an embrace. "E 'così bella vederti di nuovo il mio cara!"

"It's good to see you too Alonzo. It has been too long," Jane said as she broke the hug and turned her attention to Maura. "Alonzo, this is Dr. Maura Isles. Maura, this is a dear friend of mine, chef and owner of this restaurant, Alonzo Conti."

"Una tale bellezza! Dr. Isles, it is my pleasure," the chef greeted warmly taking ahold of Maura's hand and kissing the top of it.

"Grazie," Maura answered and both Jane and Alonzo smiled knowing Maura understood Italian. "And it's a pleasure to meet you as well."

Alonzo turned his attention to Jane who had retaken her seat. "Wine is coming. I'm just finishing up on a sampling of appetizers for you both. The main course will be ready in about thirty minutes. So please relax, enjoy yourselves and I will check in with you after I've seen to your meals."

Alonzo returned to the kitchen as a waiter entered and set up wine for the women. The waiter then brought in an appetizer course made up of an Antipasto platter and Parma Prosciutto. As they started to sample the food Maura had to ask.

"Jane, how do you know Alonzo?" She was curious how Jane knew someone who would be willing to close his restaurant for a private meal on a weekend night.

Jane smiled but it seemed to be a sad smile. Maura hadn't expected that kind of look from Jane. "I helped out his daughter a few years ago," she offered.

Maura looked and Jane and knew there was more to the story. She leaned back in her chair and waited for Jane to continue.

"Before I was promoted to Homicide I did a stretch with Vice. A few years ago Alonzo's daughter, Adrianna, got involved with all the wrong people. She ended up getting pulled into a prostitution ring and had some issues with drugs. I helped bust the prostitution ring. During the interview it became very clear to me that she was a good kid who had been pulled into a bad situation.

"After we busted the entire ring I asked the DA to place Adrianna in a diversion program and rehab to get her help instead of a criminal record. He agreed and Adrianna was able to complete rehab, go back to school and she turned her life around. Alonzo has always been appreciative of the assistance I offered his daughter."

"That was very kind of you to help that girl out," Maura said. Jan'es kindness towards others was something Maura admired.

"It was nothing. When you've been a cop for as long as I have you learn to recognize the ones who are just in over their heads. Adrianna was one of those. I'd rather try to help give someone a second chance instead of just putting another person into the system."

The waiter returned with more food. This time he brought out a Risotto and Raviolone Aperto. Both were excellent. The conversation between the two continued.

"So, you've met my family," Jane said shifting the conversation away from herself. "But I still don't know very much about yours. You don't talk about them very much."

Maura sighed almost as a reflex. Jane noticed it immediately.

"Maura, if it's not a topic you want to discuss that's ok. We can talk about something else," Jane said now feeling bad for even bringing up the topic.

"No, it's alright. There's just," she paused trying to think of the best way to explain her family. "It's just that there's not really that much to tell."

Jane looked at Maura trying to figure out if she really wanted to talk about it or if she was just being polite. Maura filled in the silence.

"I'm not exactly close with my parents. I'm an only child. I've told you that they adopted me when I was a baby. But they weren't very involved in my life growing up. They were both busy and both had jobs that required significant travel. I was raised by nannies and house staff more than anyone else."

Jane took in Maura's look and tone. It wasn't bitter but it felt resigned. And sad. Jane seemed to realize early on that Maura's life may have been rather lonely. Not wanting her to be upset but not really knowing what to say Jane reached across the table and grabbed Maura's hand. She felt the need to reassure the woman across from her that she wasn't alone in that moment. And, she hoped, Maura wasn't going to be alone in the future either.

It seemed to work. Maura squeezed Jane's hand and looked at her. What she saw reflected back at her took her by surprise. The few times in her life she had ever tried to explain her family or childhood she found the person listening to her always seemed to have a look of pity cross their face. Maura didn't want pity. A part of her was afraid that was what she would see in Jane's face when she looked up.

Instead she found something completely different. Looking up into Jane's eyes she saw compassion and understanding. Not judgement. Not pity. Just openness and compassion. She had to fight hard not to have her eyes tear up in that moment. She didn't want Jane to think she had made her sad. She wasn't sad. She, too, now was starting to feel hopefully optimistic.

"No family is perfect Maura," Jane offered. "It's a shame that they have missed out on experiencing just how amazing their daughter turned out to be."

Maura didn't know how to respond to that. She couldn't stop the single tear the fell from her eye. Jane was about to say something more but Alonzo was making his way back towards their table. Jane released Maura's hand and Maura wiped away the tear trying to compose herself before the chef made it to the table.

If he sensed he had interrupted a moment he hid it very well. "For the main course I have prepared both Branzino and a Roasted Lamb chop and Osso Bucco dish." Waiters were busy clearing the plates from the second course and placing the main course on the table. He looked at Jane. "How has everything been so far?"

"The food has been excellent Alonzo," she said with a smile. Sensing Maura still needed a minute to compose herself she continued to chat with Alonzo. "How's Adrianna?"

Alonzo's face lit up the room at just the mention of his daughter. "Il mio amata! She graduates from college this year. Can you believe it?"

Jane smiled. She knew Adrianna had been away at school but she hadn't realized she was almost done. "Rhode Island School of Design, right?" she asked.

"Sì amica mio. She has such a talent. You should see the paintings she has done over the last few years. She's considering graduate school. Dove il tempo? One day she's a little girl and the next she's a grown woman."

The waiters finished with the food set up and had walked away. Alonzo looked at them both and added one last thing before leaving them alone. "Please don't let this old man keep you from enjoying the rest of your meal. I'll stop by one more time to say good night," and with that he made his way back into the kitchen.

"He really seems like a nice man," Maura said.

Jane nodded. "His daughter is his whole life. His wife passed away a few years ago and Adrianna and this restaurant are all he has left."

The main course was just as good as the previous dishes. Jane hesitated to bring up the subject of Maura's family again but there were things she wanted to know. "Maura, I don't want you to be sad or upset but I'm curious about you and I'm not sure how to go about asking without upsetting you again," said trying to test the water.

"I'm fine Jane. Really. What do you want to know?" she gave Jane a reassuring smile.

"Well, you know I've spent my entire life in Boston. Where have you lived?" Jane hoped Maura would be alright talking more about her life than her parents specifically. That was clearly a delicate subject and Jane wanted to stay on the right side of it.

"Well, from what I have been told I was born here in Boston. Or at least that is where the adoption process occurred. My mother is an artist and my father is a professor and at the time they adopted me they were both teaching here in the Boston area. When I was three we moved to New York. When I was ten I went away to boarding school in Europe where I stayed until I graduated high school. My undergraduate work was done here at BCU. I went to Harvard for medical school and I obtained two PhDs from UCSF while living and working in San Francisco until I agreed to take the Chief ME job here in Boston."

"And why did you take this job? Not that I'm not glad that you said yes," Jane offered up.

Maura smiled at that comment but thought about how to answer the question. "It was a chance to get back to Boston. I've always loved this city. Plus it was a Chief examiner position. The offer was too good to pass up."

"Well, I for one, am glad to welcome you back to a city you love."

The waiter returned and cleared the dishes from the main course. He set up for coffee and dessert both of which the women were looking forward to. Coffee was brought out followed shortly thereafter by Tiramisu. The ladies were just finishing up both when Alonzo made what would be his last appearance at their table.

"I trust the meal was satisfactory?" he asked in earnest.

"The entire meal was excellent," Maura answered first. "Thank you."

"Any time I can cook for Jane it is my pleasure. But when she asked me to prepare of meal for a beautiful woman it became my honor."

Jane watched the interaction between the chef and the doctor. "You outdid yourself Alonzo. I can't thank you enough."

"È donna sciocca. When will you ever learn it is I who could never do enough to thank you?" Jane and Alonzo shared an embrace and he looked back at Maura. "This woman," he nodded towards Jane, "she has an amazing heart. You should consider yourself a lucky lady to have her in your life. You look after her for me." He smiled at Maura and then turned again to Jane not giving Maura a chance to respond. "I shall leave you two alone. Stay as long as you want. I do hope I get a chance to cook for you both again." He again took Maura's hand and kissed to top before disappearing into the kitchen for the final time.

"Dinner was fabulous Jane," Maura said. "This has been an enjoyable evening."

"I would agree with you," Jane replied. "But this was simply dinner. The evening has only just begun." She stood up and reached out her hand to pull Maura up from the table. "Are you ready for what's next?"

Maura had no idea what to expect but knew the answer she was going to give. "Lead the way," she said and they headed out into the night.

R&I

"Where are we going?" Maura asked for the third time since they had returned to the car and Jane had started driving.

"You really don't like surprises do you?" Jane asked with a smile.

"I'm just not used to them. I'm used to knowing what's going on all the time."

"Well, then tonight is a completely new experience for you. You will find out soon enough, We are almost there," she said. She knew it was driving Maura nuts not to know what else was planned for the night but she felt it was adding to the enjoyment of the evening.

After a few minutes Jane pulled up to their final destination. Maura looked at where they were and turned her attention to Jane. "What...?" but she didn't finish the thought. Jane had already exited the car and was walking around to open the passenger door for Maura again.

"Jane, they are closed," was the first thing she got out still shocked at their destination.

Jane gave a sly smile. "They are closed to the public. But as you may have noticed that doesn't seem to apply to us this evening." As she had earlier, she took Maura's hand and they walked towards the entrance.

As they approached the front entrance they again had to wait for the doors to be opened. This time they were greeted by a woman. "Good evening Detective. This must be Dr. Isles," the woman extended her hand to greet Maura. "Dr. Isles, my name is Jessica and I will be your guide for the evening."

Maura seemed be to a step behind in comprehension all night and now was no different. She managed a quick greeting still trying to figure out how Jane had managed to pull off this part of the evening.

Jessica turned to Jane. "Would you still like to start with the new exhibit?"

Jane nodded. "If that would be alright with you."

Maura looked at Jane. "Not Monet?" she asked suddenly excited.

Jessica stepped in to answer that question. "Yes actually. The Museum has the new Monet exhibit set to be open to the public next week. Detective Rizzoli has secured a private viewing for you both. If you will follow me," she said as she started heading into the museum.

"Jane!" exclaimed Maura. "How did you manage this?"

They were following their guide who was at least trying to appear as if she wasn't listening to their conversation.

"That is a longer story than how I managed to arrange dinner," Jane admitted. "Don't worry about the how. Just enjoy the what."

The three made their way across the courtyard of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum towards the room that housed the Monet exhibit. Once Jane dismissed Maura's questions about the private viewing Maura couldn't help but turn her attention to Jessica who was more than willing to fill in the two on the history of the temporary exhibit.

As they entered the room it was impossible not to be immediately taken by the beautiful works of art. Monet's work had always been a favorite for Jane and she was happy to see Maura's excitement to see the works. They let Jessica spend the next hour and a half walking through piece by piece explaining the history of the works. Not surprisingly to Jane, Maura knew most of what Jessica was pointing out.

The works were incredible. They had several of the Haystack series that Maura particularly enjoyed as well as several from his Water Lilies and Weeping Willow series. But the one Jane liked the most, or at least stared at the most was a work entitled Charing Cross Bridge. At one point she looked at Maura and spoke.

"I don't know what it is about this painting. But I've always been drawn to it. Monet's works are brilliant. All of them. But I would have to say this is the one I could find myself being perfectly content looking at everyday."

Maura smiled. She would have to admit that Jane had not struck her as one to have an appreciation of art but the more time she spent with the detective the more she was learning about her. And she liked everything she was discovering.

They eventually made their way through each piece of the exhibit. Jessica had been extremely patient with them both allowing them time to admire each piece for as long as they had wanted and she had discreetly walked away when conversation turned personal between the two.

"Detective, I am at your disposal for the entire time you choose to stay here. We can visit any room you both would care to see. I've been instructed to allow you and Dr. Isles to have the 'run of the place' so we can go wherever you would like to go next."

Jane smiled at the thought. "Jessica, you have been amazing and we both thank you. Would it be possible for Dr. Isles and I to simply stroll through the Courtyard before we call it an evening?" It was getting late and Jane just wanted to spend some time alone with Maura. They both had been through the rest of the museum several times before and there wasn't anything either desperately wanted to see. She had really brought Maura here for the sneak peak of the Monet exhibit.

"That would be just fine," she said with a smile. "I'll be here if you need anything or have any questions but please enjoy the Courtyard." And with that she walked off leaving the two alone.

R&I

Jane again took Maura's hand and they made their way towards the Courtyard. As they walked she looked down at their intertwined hands. She was surprised she kept reaching for Maura's hand all night. She normally wasn't much for hand holding but it just always seemed to be the right thing to do with Maura. Maura had never pulled away from her attempts but she suddenly wondered if it bothered her.

"I seem to have a habit of reaching for your hand," Jane pointed out. "Does that bother you?"

Maura looked at Jane as they walked and then down at their hands still joined together. "Not one bit," was her answer. This brought a smile on the faces of them both. They slowly strolled through the Courtyard suddenly liking the fact that they were now alone.

"I don't know how you managed this Jane," Maura said.

"I told you, that's a long story. I promise to tell you one day. Just not tonight."

Maura chose not to push Jane on that end. Instead, given that they now had some privacy she started to tread into a different personal pool of sorts. "Can I ask you something?"

Jane turned to look at Maura, "You can ask me anything you want."

"Are you...have you..." she paused not sure how to phrase the question without offending Jane.

"Have I dated women before?" Jane finished Maura's question.

Maura merely nodded. She was curious about Jane's past involvements.

They happened to be walking towards a bench in the Courtyard and Jane moved them both over to the bench to sit down. She turned into Maura to answer the question. "Yes. Or actually maybe the better answer is 'sort of'. I've been attracted to women in the past. Not many. But a few. I 'dated' a woman once but I'm not really sure the things we did should count as 'dating'. I was young and I had no idea what I was doing. So in the end we never did much. It was that way with men for me too. Attracted to a few. Again, not many but a few. Attraction lead to activities I would barely classify as dates. But nothing would ever really come of it. I'm not sure what that makes me. I've never been big on labels. For me, its been more about an attraction regardless of gender. And I've felt that attraction for both genders at different times in my life.

"I'll be honest with you. I haven't felt an attraction for either sex in a long time. I haven't dated anyone one for well over two years. To people who ask, especially my mother, I blame my job. The nature of the work. The hours. It's tough to try to balance a personal life given the things I have to see and do and a daily basis. You've seen it. In fact I'm sure you've seen worse things than I have over the years. Having that as a day job sometimes felt like it blocked a real chance for a relationship outside of all of that. Regardless of gender, it has been my experience that most people hate what I do as a job or have some sick fascination with the idea of me and handcuffs."

At that comment both women laughed. After a minute Jane continued.

"While I blame the job, the more accurate truth would be I just haven't met anyone that I felt was worth the effort of trying to create that balance. Trying to make it work. I haven't found myself wanting to try for a long time. Until you. I know this is our first date and I don't want to get all heavy on you this soon but I will say that I do find myself attracted to you. I was from the minute I met you.

"But, I do want you to know that no matter what may or may not happen with us as an 'us', I have come to value our friendship. That's something I do even less than date."

Maura looked at Jane confused by what she just meant.

"I make friends, real friends, even less frequently than I date," clarified Jane. "So please know that no matter what I want us to always be friends. If dating or whatever this may be doesn't end up working out I will always want to be your friend. I will always want to be in your life."

Maura had sat quietly listening to Jane. What she heard made her heart soar. The certainty that Jane stated that she wanted Maura as a friend was enough to almost break her. But the openness with which Jane was talking about herself and her past got to her too. She knew she needed to respond but she wanted to say all the right things.

"I will always want you as a friend Jane. I've never met anyone like you before. I have always put people into one of two categories. Those who don't like or understand me and those who don't understand me but tolerate me. No one has ever both liked and understood me. Until I met you.

"You don't fit into the categories I have set for people in my life Jane. From the day I met you, you haven't fit. And although that sounds wrong it's never felt more right to me. Ever. You like me. You want to spend time with me because you like spending time with me. And somehow, magically, you seem to understand me and my awkwardness and that hasn't driven you away.

"In a sense we very something in common. I've dated both men and women too. But I've never been with anyone who understood me. I'd classify my previous experiences as fulfilling physical needs. And that's been about it. I've never have any sort of emotional attachment with anyone before.

"But it feels different with you. I'm highly attracted to you but it's not just about the physical attraction for me. I want your company. I want your sense of humor. I want your insight to the human interactions that can confuse me at times. I want your perspective on the mundane things in life because you have this way of making them anything but mundane. I want you in my life."

Maura was quiet for a minute and just took in Jane. The physical desire was undeniable. For them both. But what was getting to Maura was the openness and kindness she found in Jane's eyes. No one had ever looked at her the way Jane looked as her. Like she wasn't looking at her but within her. And she never acted like she didn't like what she saw. That too was new for Maura.

Jane allowed Maura to look at her in silence for a moment. She had been given a chance to speak without interruption and she had wanted to give Maura the same courtesy. She could tell Maura was trying to put together something in her mind so she didn't mind patiently waiting for her to get to where she wanted to be. In that moment, Jane knew she would wait forever for Maura if that was what Maura needed.

But Jane wouldn't have to wait forever for what Maura did next. Maura decided there really wasn't the right collection of words to thoroughly explain to Jane just exactly how she was feeling in that moment. So instead of words, she opted for a different means of communication.

Maura leaned into Jane raising her hand to gently place it on Jane's cheek. Letting it rest there for a moment she closed the rest of the distance between her lips and Jane's. The kiss was sheer perfection. Both open and wanting the contact. It wasn't timid. It wasn't mild. It was the perfect blend of want and tenderness. And for both ladies the simplicity of the kiss spoke volumes about what each wanted and where each woman was at in that moment.

They both were exactly where that wanted to be. Getting completely lost in the moment and in each other.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

"Charles please be reasonable," the lawyer implored. "As your lawyer I am telling you that you need to consider this deal."

Hoyt gave a dead stare at the man sitting across from him. He really didn't have much patience for the guy. He was angry that he even needed him. He had seriously debated representing himself in this matter. He still might in the end. But for now, the man across from him served a vital function so he couldn't summarily dismiss him.

"What they are offering is an insult," he said coldly. He couldn't even believe the DA had the nerve to label it an 'offer'.

"They can afford to be insulting. The evidence they have against you is overwhelming. It was bad enough that they survived the pre-trial motions to suppress but when he put their medical examiner on the stand...well you saw what she was capable of. At this point the DA's confidence in a full conviction is remarkably high."

He had, in fact, witnessed exactly what Dr. Maura Isles was capable of that day in court. He had in deed. "I will not accept a plea," Hoyt replied.

The lawyer shook his head in frustration. He had never had a client in his twenty two years of practicing law quite like Hoyt. He was guilty. It was the first thing the man had said to him when they had their initial consultation. Most of his previous clients at least had the decency to try to deny that they were cold blooded killers. Not Hoyt.

Hoyt's willingness to recount what he did and the almost pure joy he seemed to experience each time he told his tale unnerved the lawyer. He had spent a career defending guilty men. It was the system they lived in. He long ago made his peace with that. Hoyt was amongst a handful of clients he understood deserved to spend his life behind bars in order for the rest of the world to be safe. The man scared him.

But, he was being paid a very generous fee for the work he was being asked to do. He understood that if he could not get the forensic evidence suppressed against his client there was no way Hoyt was going to avoid going to jail. His efforts at that suppression had failed. His client was going away. It was now fact more than a possibility. So he just didn't understand why he wanted to go through the motions of a trial they had no chance of winning.

"The DA will drop the kidnapping and rape counts for a plea on the five first degree murder charges," the lawyer tried to explain again.

"Will I be eligible for parole?" Hoyt countered.

"No, the sentence would be life without parole," admitted the lawyer.

"So what would the advantage be of agreeing to a plea. Is this not what I'm sure to receive if we go to a jury trial?"

The lawyer now thought about that. "That is true. Massachusetts does not have the death penalty so you are facing life without parole with or without the kidnapping and rape charges."

"Which was exactly my point to you. This is not an 'offer' from the DA. This is the DA wanting to free up his calendar and move on. I will not agree to that. I'm going to end up with the same result with or without the trial. So, I want the trial."

He knew the lawyer just didn't understand it. A man of his intelligence just wasn't equipped to see the bigger picture. He should really feel sorry for the man. So arrogant. So vain. Hoyt was sure the man in front of him believed he was better than each one of his clients. Such a simple minded little man.

In the beginning Hoyt was hoping to toy with the police. He had started playing games with them. Somehow, though, he had been detected quicker than he anticipated. He hadn't had a chance to play half of his games with the Boston police department that he had wanted. He hadn't expected that raid on his house. But after his preliminary hearing, his attentions had moved away from the police and onto one person.

Dr. Maura Isles.

Hoyt prided himself on his intelligence. His superiority should be evident to all. He had never met anyone he felt compelled to label as an equal. His intellectual prowess had never been matched by a single person he had encountered until he was introduced to the beautiful medical examiner.

While he appreciated her beauty, what had captivated him was her mind. Her intelligence. He had found an equal. Someone to match his brilliance. Someone he felt could challenge him. Make him more than he was in that moment. For Hoyt, that day in the courtroom was a day of revelations. He had found his muse.

Now, he just needed to prove himself to her. Prove to her that he was in fact her equal. Worthy of her. This was now what he was going to do. It was no longer about the childish games he had planned for the police. Those were now utterly beneath him. Now, he was focused on the only person he felt could understand him and appreciate the gift that was his mind.

He looked at the lawyer again. Take a deal that avoided a trial? Deny himself the pleasure of getting to see the doctor again? Deny himself the privilege of seeing first hand her brilliance on display to the entire courtroom? That would never happen. The silly man in front of him just didn't understand that. He wouldn't be denied his time with Dr. Isles.

"End of discussion. No deal. We go to trial." He paused again giving the lawyer a cold, hard stare. He let his resolve settle on the lawyer who finally seemed willing to drop the subject. He then continued. "Now, did you do what I asked you to do?"

The lawyer looked into the eyes of the cold blooded killer sitting in front of him and merely nodded his head. "The package was delivered as you requested. I was told to tell you that the matter would be handled and he will follow-up with you once things have been started."

The lawyer had been asked to deliver an envelope to an acquaintance of Hoyt's. Hoyt insisted that the communication not go through the normal jail scrutiny and review. It was a favor he routinely fulfilled for his clients. In Hoyt's case, he didn't want to have any idea what the man was asked to get started.

This made Hoyt smile for the first time all day. Things could finally get started.

R&I

"I can't believe we have to go to trial for the Hoyt case," Jane complained to no one in general as she sat at her desk. She was reviewing her email and the DA's office had requested an initial schedule placeholder for potential testimony. She thought for sure the lawyers would plead out.

"I know," Korsak said over the top of his computer. "It surprised me too. Dr. Isles did such a good job at the preliminary hearing you would think the last thing the defense would want is her taking the stand again in front of a jury."

Jane couldn't help the prideful grin that swept across her face. Maura's testimony had been amazing to watch. As mad as she was about the possible disruption in her schedule she suddenly realized that if there was a jury trial she would be able to watch Maura give testimony again. Suddenly Hoyt going to trial wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

"Some people just never learn I guess," Jane offered up.

"Hey Jane? Can we have lunch either today or tomorrow?" Vince asked looking over at his partner. She had been making it a habit to spend her lunch breaks with Dr. Isles recently and there was something he wanted to discuss with her.

Jane looked up from the report she had started reviewing. "Sure. We can have lunch today if you want," she replied with a smile. She looked at her partner and couldn't help but feel a little guilty. Ever since she had started getting close with Maura she had managed to neglect her partner a little.

Vince smiled. They hadn't had lunch together in a few weeks. "Good. I should be through my reports in about an hour. You?"

"About the same. Just holler when you are ready," she said returning to her report. She waited until she noticed Korsak had returned his attention to his reports before she grabbed her phone to send Maura a text.

_I have to cancel on lunch :( J_

She knew Maura wouldn't mind but she didn't want her waiting around if she had to a chance to get an earlier lunch now.

_That's alright. New case? M_

Jane read the text as soon as it appeared on her screen.

_No. Looks like Korsak QT is needed J_

It didn't take long for Maura's response.

_QT? M_

Jane stifled a snicker. For a genius she sometimes forgot how much Maura really didn't know.

_Quality Time. I think Vince misses me J_

She glanced back up at her partner who was fully engrossed in his reports.

_Certainly can't blame him ;) Dinner? M_

_I'm having dinner with Frankie but you are welcome to join us J_

_I don't want to intrude on brother/sister time M_

_How many times do I have to tell you that you can't intrude when you are invited J_

_But he's your family M_

_Yeah and you're family too. Join us. J_

She waited for a response. The sudden interruption in the flow of texts was noticeable. It suddenly made Jane worried she said something wrong. She re-read her last text and hoped she hadn't crossed a line. Looking at her phone she realized she had called Maura family.

She now wondered if she should have. It just came out. As much as what a person types can 'just' come out. She hadn't really thought about what she was typing. But now she was wondering if she had made a mistake. She stared at her phone trying to magically will a response from Maura.

They had been dating each other now for almost a month. They hadn't exactly worked out the definition was what that really made them. They were dating in the sense that they were spending all their free time together. It was a mutually agreed upon exclusivity. They would both agree that they were more than friends at this point but each was now referring to the other as their best friend. They kissed. Often. There was definite passion behind the kisses. But they had not yet slept together although that had not been due to a lack of physical desire. They both wanted to. Each wanted the other. But neither seemed to have a timetable for that to occur.

They weren't advertising their relationship. But they weren't necessarily hiding it either. Both had always kept their private lives private even before theirs intertwined. So neither had any urge to run and tell anyone the details of what they did when they were together. As far as either knew, the station either thought they were just friends or that they were sleeping together. Both versions were making the rounds through the rumor mill. Truth be told neither Jane nor Maura seemed to care what outsiders thought was or wasn't going on between them. It really wasn't anyone else's business.

But as Jane stared at her phone panic was starting to set in. She couldn't help but wonder if calling Maura family been the wrong to say. They had yet to use the word 'girlfriend' and Jane wasn't sure that fit them. She hated the phrase 'significant other' and in the back of her mind 'partner' seemed to be for more established couples. There just didn't seem to be a word for what they were to each other and as she thought about it she wasn't sure there needed to be one.

When still no response came from Maura, Jane couldn't help it. She stood up and looked at Vince. "I'll be ready for lunch in about 15 minutes. I need to run down to the lab for a minute. Meet me in the garage in 20?"

Korsak looked up to nod his agreement and was surprised to see the perplexed look on Jane's face. "Sure. 20 minutes." He paused. "Hey, you ok?"

Jane looked down at her phone again hoping maybe she just missed a text but she hadn't. "Yeah, I think I just said something stupid," she said.

Vince had to fight not to smile. "Go tell her you're just an idiot and she needs to get used to that. 20 minutes." Jane smiled at his understanding and headed for the elevator.

R&I

Jane slowly approached Maura's office. The entire ride down the elevator she stared at her phone. Maybe Maura had just gotten interrupted and couldn't type an answer back. But Jane needed to know for sure that she hadn't upset Maura. She had a bad feeling she had done just that.

When she approached Maura's office she saw her sitting at her desk. From a distance she couldn't tell if Maura was upset. Taking a deep breath she knocked on the door completely prepared to announce that she was in fact an idiot. "Maura?" she asked as she knocked.

Maura snapped to attention as she heard her name. Looking up she was confused. Jane was the last person she expected to see. "Jane?"

Jane stood in the doorway not sure if she should wait for an invitation in or continue to stand at the doorway.

"Jane what are you doing down here? I thought you were having lunch with Vince."

Taking a chance Jane entered Maura's office and slowly approached her. Maura stayed seated at her desk not really understanding what Jane was doing or the look she had on her face. Jane approached Maura and squatted down in front of her so she was looking up at the ME.

"You stopped texting," she got out softly.

Maura looked at her hand which was still holding her cell phone. She hadn't responded to Jane's last text because she just didn't know how to respond. She still didn't know how to respond so she remained silent.

The silence was killing Jane. "Maura, please. Did I say something wrong?" She didn't want to apologize for calling her family. Because she felt it. But she didn't want Maura upset either.

"Wrong?" Maura said turning her attention away from her phone towards Jane. "Is that what you think?"

"I really don't know what to think right now," Jane admitted.

Maura reached her free hand out and caressed the face in front of her. "It's never been more right," she said barely above a whisper. Had Jane not been as close to Maura as she was she wouldn't have heard what she said.

Jane just looked at Maura now utterly confused.

"No one has ever done that," Maura said trying to explain what she was feeling.

"Done what?" Jane asked desperately wanting to understand what was going on.

"No one has ever called me family before," came Maura's answer and a single tear trickled down her cheek.

The meaning behind what Maura had just said broke Jane's heart. For as long as she lived Jane would never understand how those in Maura's life charged with caring for her could have ever missed just how wonderful she was. It hurt Jane to think of how lonely Maura's life had been and she wanted nothing more in that moment but ensure that Maura would never feel alone ever again.

"Maura," Jane said in a sad but loving tone. She reached up and wiped away the remnants of the tear that escape with her thumb.

"Am I really family Jane?" she asked needing to be sure it was true.

"You are to me," Jane answered with her hand still resting on Maura's cheek. The look shared between the two made both their hearts soar.

Fearing that they both were going to get pulled into a moment that wouldn't be appropriate given their current location Jane knew she needed to lighten the mood a little. "You realize of course that by family I do mean the kind that it's still ok to do the things I dream about doing to you and it won't be breaking any laws or religious edicts or going against any principles of nature or science or such."

That did the trick. Maura immediately blushed and laughed. From Jane's standpoint she had never seen such a beautiful sight in her life. A blushing, laughing Maura Isles was something she could spend a lifetime experiencing.

They took each other in for a minute and then Maura stood up pulling Jane up as she stood. She walked Jane to her office door but before she released Jane's hand she spoke. "I have no words," and she paused. "Go have lunch with Vince. I'll see you for dinner with your brother. Just text me the details."

Jane nodded and squeezed Maura's hand. The hold was released and Jane headed for the elevator and Maura went back to her desk. They had promised not to kiss while at work and for the first time since they made that rule they both deeply regretted it.

R&I

Vince was patiently waiting for Jane by his car. The change in her mood was readily apparent even from halfway across the parking garage. He smiled. "Looks like you are out of the doghouse," he said.

Jane smiled. "I apparently was never in it. Guess I wasn't as stupid as I thought. Come on. I'm starving."

Vince knew Jane enough to understand that there was something going on between Maura and her. He didn't ask what that something was. He respected Jane's, and Maura's, privacy. All he knew was what he saw. And what he saw was his partner happier than he had ever seen her. His history with the ME wasn't long so he couldn't really judge her behavior like he could Jane's. But he liked everything he saw from Jane's side of things. So whatever it was between the two of them he hoped it continued.

They made their way to the Robber for lunch but ended up taking separate cars. Jane needed to run a few errands after their lunch so it was better that they drove separately. Once they placed their lunch orders they chatted about anything and everything. The two had always been close. Vince had been assigned to be Jane's partner when she was first promoted to Homicide mainly because Cavanaugh felt he wouldn't have an issue being partnered with a female. As it turned out, theirs was the best pairing in the department.

They complimented each other perfectly. Both had pretty even temperaments. Jane was just bold and daring enough to challenge Vince when it was needed. Vince was just experienced and wise enough to dial in Jane when it was needed. Together, they were great at the investigation role of their job. Both had impeccable gut instincts about people and situations. While Vince was an excellent interrogator even he had to admit that no one was better in the box than Jane. It was really an impressive sight to watch her break down a suspect during an interview.

If either had a weakness it would be on the electronics side. Vince was old school police. Reports, papers and phones. Jane was average at best with technology. Neither was much for using the Internet or technology to help in their investigations. Jane understood this made their work more difficult but there really wasn't a solution to that for the moment. Neither had any time to try to spend with the IT techs to learn about searches and queries but it was at least on her to-do list.

About halfway through lunch Vince decided to bring up what he wanted to talk about with Jane. "So, there is something I need to talk to you about," he started.

Jane blinked. In the history of the world that sentence was never followed up with anything good. She was immediately on edge. "Ok," she said putting down her food and giving Vince her entire attention.

"I'm putting in for retirement at the end of the year," he said looking at her.

She was happy she swallowed that last bite otherwise she would have choked on it. "What?" That was the last thing she expected to hear from him.

"It's time Jane. I'm an old man. I've done my years," he said sitting back in his chair. He was comfortable with his decision. It really was time. But he had a feeling that she wasn't going to be happy about it.

"You are not old Vince," she said defensively.

"Jane, I'm old enough. I've been on the force for thirty three years. I've done enough and seen enough. It's time. I told Cavanaugh I would finish out the rest of the year. But I'm done."

Jane just looked at him and she could see he was at peace with his decision. "Wow," she stuttered. She was conflicted. She was happy for him as this was clearly something that he wanted but she was sad too. Sad even thinking about losing him as a partner. "I'm sorry Vince. I know I should be happy for you. And I am. I really am. But I'm having kind of a selfish moment here. I'm going to miss you," she said.

Korsak smiled. "Hey, I'll miss you too kid. But we'll always be friends. I'm not leaving Boston. Boston's my home. I'm just ready to be carefree."

"You've earned it Vince. You have. And I am happy for you. This was just unexpected," Jane said. She slide out of the booth and he did the same. They embraced and allowed the moment to linger. Finally breaking apart she again found herself needing to lighten the mood. "You're not done until the end of the year though right? We still have time together."

"Yeah Jane. We still have time together," he said with a smile. Their time together as partners was not quite coming to an end.

R&I

Vince headed to the station while Jane headed into the city. She needed to get a few things both for herself and for her mother and with having dinner with Frankie she wasn't going to have a chance to do it later. The errands weren't going to take very long. She knew what she needed and she would able to get in and out of the stores relatively quickly.

She was in the last store she had needed to stop at, had found what she needed and was making her way up towards the checkout lanes when she suddenly stopped dead in her tracks. She almost dropped the items in her hands. She stood standing in the middle of a store aisle staring that the sight in front of her. She couldn't believe what she was seeing.

Halfway across the store was Frank. Jane stood motionless watching as her father leaned in to kiss the woman he was walking with. Holding hands and kissing. Passionately kissing. And the woman he was passionately kissing was not her mother.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

She couldn't move. She wasn't even sure she was breathing. She didn't even know how long her had been standing there. Her father and that woman had long since left the store. But Jane stood in the same spot staring straight ahead. Her mind was racing trying to process the images she had seen. Desperately trying to rearrange those images in a manner that didn't add up to what she knew they ultimately added up to. Her father was having an affair.

Her father.

Her hero.

"Ma'am?"

"Excuse me, Ma'am?"

It took hearing the voice a second time for Jane to finally flinch. She blinked her eyes a few times and finally felt her head turning towards the voice she heard.

"Did you need any help finding anything?" the voice came again.

Jane looked finally registering a person to the voice. It was a young store clerk who was looking at her with a great deal of concern on her face.

"Ma'am? Can I help you?" she tried again.

Help? The only help Jane needed in that moment was help forgetting what she had just witnessed. "Um...no thank you," Jane finally managed to say. She started to look around trying to re-orientate herself to her surroundings.

"Ok," the girl said but didn't walk away. "Ma'am, are you alright?"

Jane could tell the girl was worried. She probably thought Jane may be having some sort of medical incident. "Yes," she answered softly. For what the girl was asking she was alright. Everything else was none of her business.

Jane recovered enough to start walking. She was almost to the front of the store when she realized she was still holding store items in her hands. Functioning more on instinct than on conscious thought she moved over to a checkout lane and stood in line. She noticed the clerk had finally stopped watching her probably relieved that she wasn't going to have to apprehend her for shoplifting.

Somehow Jane managed to get through the checkout line, give correct currency the the cashier and head out of the store with purchased items. Somehow she even managed to find her car. She had held it together pretty well considering. She had kept the tears from falling, she hadn't turned into a shoplifter and she had managed to get herself to the safety and privacy of her vehicle before the first tears trickled down her cheeks.

R&I

"The trial starts in three weeks," the lawyer informed his client.

Hoyt contemplated that for a moment. He was calculating whether three weeks was enough time for him to see to all of his plans. He had already gone to great lengths to arrange things and the last thing he wanted was to be foiled by something as simple as time. Three weeks may not quite be enough time.

"That's too soon," he finally said to the lawyer. "Push it back further."

The lawyer shook his head. Like he had some magic control over the Court calendar. "Charles, I don't see how that is going to be possible right now. We are on the docket. Three weeks."

The lawyer was starting to try his patience. For the last few weeks he had not been a very reliable resource for information or for even simple task completion. He looked at the lawyer with disdain. "You are an experienced attorney. Find a way."

"I've exhausted all of the pre-trial motions I can think of to this point. Charles, there's nothing left."

Hoyt found that answer to be entirely unacceptable. Without batting an eye he responded. "Either find a way to push my trial date or I will find another lawyer to do it for me."

It wasn't the first time Hoyt had threatened to fire the lawyer. That seemed to happen about once a week. If he was smart he would request to be removed as Hoyt's attorney. Up until that point he hadn't pursued that course. Quite simply because of money. Hoyt was paying him a small fortune to defend him and due to some 'unfortunate' financial miscalculations the lawyer was in need of the funds. But he may have reached a point where he wasn't that in need of the money.

He looked at Hoyt. There was one more thing they could try. Something he had been sure Hoyt would never allow prior to that moment. But it was probably the only option still available. "There may be one more motion I can try," he offered up.

"I'm listening," Hoyt replied.

"I can enter a motion requesting a complete psychological examination," the lawyer said. He held his breath not quite sure how Hoyt would react to that piece of information.

"How much time would that give me?" asked Hoyt.

The lawyer was surprised that Hoyt may even be considering it. The one and only time he had suggested to Hoyt that they explore the options of an insanity defense Hoyt had almost violently objected and it was quickly understood that his mental status was going to remain a path not explored.

"I can drag it out and get us another two maybe three weeks," he offered up. He could play around with selection and approvals of psychiatrists enough to manage a couple of more weeks.

Hoyt sat quietly considering the option. He again ran through the status of the projects he had going. Calculating the exact amount of time each objective required. He needed to extra two weeks. Needed them if he wanted everything to go as planned before the start of the trial.

"And that's our last avenue in terms of legal motions?" he asked after a time.

"That's our last option. Otherwise the opening statements are scheduled to start in three weeks." As it was his office was already working on scheduling jury selection with the Court. If Hoyt wanted the delay his would need to file the motion before the end of the day.

"Do it."

He needed the extra two weeks.

R&I

Maura made her way across the bullpen carrying with her several preliminary autopsy reports for Jane. As she approached Jane's desk she was surprised not to see Jane at it. She turned towards Detective Korsak and smiled as she greeted him. "Hello Detective," she said. She had spent plenty of time out of work with the older detective but still didn't have the initial instinct to address him as Vince.

"Dr. Isles," he said looking up and smiling his greeting too. "Are those the preliminaries?" he asked motioning towards the files in her hand.

"Yes," she answered. "I was going to give them to Jane but I give them to you just as easily." She handed over the files to the detective. "Where is she anyway?" she asked curious. If Vince was back from lunch Jane should be in the building somewhere.

"You know, I'm not sure. She had to run a few errands after our lunch but I was expecting her back by now." He wasn't too worried. And it wasn't like Jane didn't deserve to take an extended lunch from time to time. The woman worked more hours than anyone else in the department.

Maura nodded but didn't have much to add. "Let me know if you have any questions with those reports. There was a DNA match to one of your suspects."

Korsak opened the file and glances through the report. "If I have any questions I'll let you know."

Maura made her way to the elevators and headed back down to the lab. She got wrapped up in several file reviews and before she knew it the clock on the wall read 5:20. It was then that it dawned on her that Jane hadn't come down to see her since lunch nor had she received any text about the details for dinner with Frankie later that night.

She called up to the bullpen trying to reach Jane's extension. After the fifth ring someone picked up but it wasn't Jane. "Detective Korsak," he announced.

"Detective, is Jane up there?" Maura asked.

"No she isn't Doc. She took the rest of the day off," he answered.

"What?" She was surprised by that. Since she met Jane she had never seen Jane take any extra time off.

"She sent me a text that something came up and she was going to take a half day," he replied. He, too, found it rather odd for Jane. First, the woman never took time off that wasn't a scheduled day off. Second, she usually called him. He wasn't big on text messages and Jane knew that. So why she sent a text instead of just calling had him a little worried.

"Ok, thanks Detective," Maura said hanging up the phone. Now she was growing concerned about Jane. She reached for her phone with the intent of call her when it beeped a message alert.

_Change in plans for tonight. Can you come over after work? J_

Maura looked at the message and typed her reply.

_I'm just finishing up and can head over. Is everything alright? M_

The reply seemed delayed. Jane usually replied instantly.

_No. I'll explain when I see you. J_

There was something wrong. Maura typed a reply.

_Is there anything you need? M_

The answer came instantly.

_You. J_

Her reply was immediate.

_I'm leaving right now. M_

It took her less than a minute to pack up her belongings and head for the door.

R&I

_Can't make dinner. Sorry. J_

Frankie looked at the message on his phone. He was surprised. Jane rarely, if ever, cancelled on him. He felt himself shrug his shoulders and assumed she had caught a new case. They would see each other at dinner on Sunday. He knew they would reschedule a new time then.

_No problem. See ya Sunday. F_

R&I

Her eyes.

That was what struck Maura the minute Jane opened the door to her apartment. Just from looking into Jane's eyes Maura knew something was really wrong. There was such pain and sadness behind her eyes.

Jane hadn't said a word to Maura yet. She had simply opened the door and stepped aside allowing Maura to enter the apartment. They both walked into the living room and each took a seat on the couch. Maura tried to shift as close to Jane as she could. The silence was deafening.

"Can you tell me?" was her first question to Jane finally breaking the silence. She had no idea what was wrong and by her nature she didn't guess. So she would wait for Jane to explain as she chose.

Jane turned towards Maura and saw nothing but concern and compassion staring back at her. "Can I ask you something?" Jane started.

"Anything."

"Are your parents happy? I mean happily married?"

That was the last question Maura expected to hear coming from Jane. She wasn't prepared for that. She thought for a moment and then answered. "To be honest with you, I'm not sure. From outside appearances I would say yes. But whether that translates into actual happiness I can't tell you. I don't spend enough time with either one of them to be in a position to answer that." It was a frank and honest answer.

Maura believed her parents cared for each other. They spent time together. They traveled together. Maura had never witnessed a fight or disagreement between the two. But they spent significant amounts of time apart from each other. Just as Maura spent significant amounts of time away from them both. She was not privy to the day to day status of their relationship.

They were outwardly loving and happy. But Maura understood that image and appearance mattered greatly to both her parents. So she was not sure if the happiness she witnessed on the rare occasions they were all together was real or part of an illusion meant to convince those around them that they lived the 'perfect life'.

"I'm sorry that you aren't close with them," Jane said in a sad tone.

"My relationship with my parents is complicated Jane. But it's certainly not at the heart of whatever is wrong. Talk to me," she said and reached over to take Jane's hand.

"I...I saw," she said trying to figure out a way to get it out without it becoming more real that it already was.

"You saw what?" Maura tried to encourage Jane.

"I was at the store. I needed to get a few things for Ma and after my lunch with Vince I thought I could just go grab everything real quick since we were going to have dinner with Frankie. I was almost done. I was in the last place I needed to stop," Jane was now rambling on. Maura knew enough to just let Jane continue to talk. She sensed Jane would get there in her own time. "I was heading to check out and I just happened to look up. And I saw," her voice cracked and she took a deep breath.

"It's ok," Maura tried to sooth. "Take your time. I'm not going anywhere."

"God Maura! How could he?!" Jane's expression flashed the first traces of anger.

"How could who do what Jane?" Maura asked patiently.

"Thirty four years. They've been married thirty four years and he's just out in public kissing some woman like it's not a big deal," she finally got out.

In an instant Maura understood what Jane had seen. That, however, didn't give her any clue as to what to do or say to make Jane feel better. "Oh Jane," she sighed. "I'm so sorry." She almost asked if Jane was sure but didn't. The look on Jane's face made her believe that Jane knew exactly what she had seen. This was not a mistake.

"How could he?" Jane repeated.

Maura had no answer for Jane. She let her mind run through what statistics and information on infidelity and marriages she could remember but what she could recall didn't seem to be of any help in this situation. Instead she squeezed Jane's hand again trying to comfort her as best she could.

"Did you confront him?" she asked.

Jane shook her head. "He was gone before I recovered from the initial shock of seeing him.

"Did you recognize the woman?"

Jane again shook her head. "No. I haven't seen her before."

There was silence between the two for a few minutes before Jane spoke again. "Maura, what am I going to do? I mean, do I tell my mother? Do I confront my father? Do I try to pretend I never saw them kissing today? I don't know what it is I'm supposed to do here."

The lost, hurt and confused look on Jane's face just broke Maura's heart. Not knowing what else to really do for her Maura pulled Jane into an embrace. She felt Jane tighten the embrace as she started to gently run her hand over Jane's back in small, soothing circles. "I don't know if there is a right answer to that question. I think you need to do what you feel is the best thing."

"And if I don't know what that is?"

"Then I think that just means you aren't ready to decide that right now. Jane, this has been a shock for you. And it just happened. I don't think you have to know what the right thing to do is this exact second."

"What would you do?" she asked as she slowly extracted herself from Maura's embrace.

"That's hard to answer Jane. This isn't my family that's involved. I can tell you what I think I would do but I'd remind you that it's an answer that comes without any of the emotional ties that have ahold of you right now."

"Tell me anyway," Jane replied. She understood what Maura was trying to say and if the situation was reversed she probably would be feeling the same way but she really wanted someone else's opinion. Maura's opinion.

Maura looked at Jane. She hated talking about 'what ifs' but she couldn't help but sense that Jane really needed to hear her opinion. "If this was me, I would speak to my father first. Get his explanation and then insist that he tell my mother. If he didn't, or wouldn't, then I would." As she thought about she was fairly certain she would not be able to live with that kind of secret. She would insist her father tell her mother.

Jane nodded her understanding of what Maura was saying. "Thank you," she said wanting to acknowledge that it went against Maura's nature to speculate or guess about a situation. "And you are right, I don't have to have an answer right this second."

Maura gently placed her free hand upon Jane's cheek. "I really am sorry Jane," she said and leaned in for a light kiss. Pulling back she readjusted herself on the couch and pulled Jane into her so she got rest into her side.

They stayed that way for a while not talking. Maura hoped Jane found at least a small level of comfort in her arms.

"This is going to devastate her," she said in almost a whisper. It was the last thing Jane said on the subject that night.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

Jane had managed to avoid the entire Rizzoli clan during the three days since her discovery of her father's affair. She still couldn't decide what she was going to do or say about what she had seen and it was better for her not to talk to anyone in the family until she could figure it all out.

The only person who knew what seemed to be bothering the detective was Maura. Korsak knew immediately upon Jane's return to work the next day that something was wrong but Jane told him it wasn't anything she wanted to talk about. He always respected Jane's personal space and privacy so he let it drop. But not until he made sure she knew he was there for her if she needed anything.

Maura was an excellent support for Jane. She listened during the times when Jane went on venting tangents about the sanctity of marriage and fidelity. She offered up her opinion only when Jane asked for it. And she let Jane have time alone when it was apparent that she needed to try to sort through everything.

Both women knew Jane was going to have to decide on some course of action before the next set Rizzoli family dinner. She had confirmed her attendance to her mother before the incident in the store with her father. As far as Angela was concerned Jane was coming to Sunday dinner. Jane had avoided all calls from Angela to that point but she hadn't exactly cancelled on dinner. She thought she'd figure out how to handle Frank by the time dinner rolled around.

But somehow it was Sunday morning and Jane still hadn't made a decision about what she was going to do. When she woke up that morning all she wanted to do was skip dinner and hide away from the world. She couldn't see how she could possibly handle seeing her father at dinner. Not with what she knew. But she also didn't know exactly what she would tell her mother if she cancelled. Angela was fully aware of the fact that Jane was not on-call that weekend and that she didn't have a current case she was working. Work was Jane's usual go-to excuse.

As she lay in bed letting her indecision torment her she wished the world would simply just go away and leave her alone. The constant buzzing of her phone was her first hint that her wish wouldn't be possible.

The messages started rolling in by 10 am.

_10:01 am- Can you stop and get butter on your way here? A_

_10:16 am- And milk? A_

_10:23 am- You haven't answered any calls all week. Ma wants confirmation that you are coming to dinner. F_

_11:01 am- Confirmation and she needs pepper now too. F_

_11:07 am- Did Frankie tell you I need pepper too? Butter. milk and pepper. A_

_11:23 am- Ma says to make sure you know pepper the spice not peppers the vegetable- F_

_11:25 am- Seriously Jane- why does Ma text me to tell you something? Why can't she just text you? F_

_12:05 pm- Janie- why aren't you replying back? You can't still be asleep! A_

_12:30 pm- Janie, now Ma thinks you are sick. I've tried to tell her you are sleeping. Text her back. F_

_12:45 pm- Ma- I'll stop at the store. J_

_12:46 pm- I have no control over Ma- I'll see you at dinner. J_

Jane hoped that finally answering Frankie and Angela's texts finally would get them to stop blasting her with messages.

She hadn't wanted to go to dinner but outside of lying about a case she couldn't think of how to not go without worrying her mother or making her brother get even more suspicious about her behavior than he already was. Lying in bed she tried to convince herself that she could get through one dinner without tipping anyone off that there was something wrong.

That had been her master plan. Go to dinner and act like everything was fine. She still didn't know what she was going to do about her father but she knew she wasn't about to do anything in front of her entire family. She knew how dinners went. She felt strongly that she could stay in the kitchen with her mother and avoid interactions with her father for most of the night. Plus, with Frankie there she could easily divert attentions if needed.

_2:11 pm- Come over early and watch the Sox game with me and Pop. F_

That was so not going to happen.

_2:13 pm- Can't. But I will see you at dinner. J_

Dinner started at 6 pm at their house. Jane was now doing the commute time math to figure out when she needed to leave her apartment to arrive no sooner than 5:45 pm. She wasn't planning on being late but she certainly wasn't going to be early either.

By 3 pm she was bouncing off the walls. The nervousness she was feeling had manifested itself into the first deep cleaning of her apartment in almost six months. Jane was an organized person and liked a clean apartment. But when she was anxious about something she found she would often deep clean. But her place wasn't that large so it didn't take as long as she had hoped.

Floors scrubbed, carpets vacuumed, oven cleaned, windows washed, shower scrubbed and pillows fluffed. The place was now emmaculate. But it was only 3:15. And that's when she knew. She picked up her phone and dialed.

"Hi," was the soft, welcoming answer.

"Ok, I need help. I can't face them all alone. Can I reconsider? Will you come with me?" Jane quietly asked admitting defeat.

To her credit, Maura never took on even a hint of an 'I told you so' tone with Jane. She had offered repeatedly to join Jane for Sunday dinner. She wanted to be by Jane's side for moral support. But Jane kept insisting that Maura didn't need to get drawn into the Rizzoli family drama. Jane was still upset with herself for how Tommy had acted the last time Maura came over for dinner. She certainly didn't want her second time to be filled with more possible angst. She had wanted Maura to actually like her family.

"Of course I'll come with you," she replied sweetly. If Jane wasn't so upset by all of this Maura would have been smiling at her concession. But as it was, she was just too worried about Jane to register anything else. "I've told you I will be here for you whatever you need."

Jane looked around her spotless apartment and could feel the walls starting to close in on her. She needed to get out of there. "Can I come over now?" she asked hoping to hear a yes.

"I'll be waiting," was Maura's answer and they disconnected the call.

Truth be told, Maura had spent all morning with her phone in her hand. She had a feeling Jane was going to call. It was why she made no other plans for the day. Jane needed her and she was going to be there.

R&I

_3:25 pm- Maura is coming too. J_

_3:26 pm- Wonderful! I'll set another place. See you girls soon. Don't forget: butter, milk and pepper. A_

R&I

Charles looked across the glass as his visitor was entering the room. Unlike his meetings with the lawyer that were in a room where he was allowed access to documents and papers, regular visitors were not allowed contact with him. They had to stay on one side of a thick glass partition and they would have to speak with each other using phones. The antiquated nature of this setup offended Hoyt.

He was fully aware that the conversation he was having through the phone he was about to pick up was being monitored and recorded by the jail. That, too, offended him. He had not yet been convicted of anything and yet he had already had several of his rights stripped away. He sighed in frustration. But, for the moment, there wasn't anything he could do about it. He was just glad to be receiving this visitor. And he was thankful that his visitor was well aware that their conversation was not going to be private and he would conduct himself accordingly.

The man took a seat and smiled at Hoyt. It was a genuine smile. It was clear he was happy to be seeing the man on the other side of the glass. Hoyt returned the smile but there could be room to argue about the genuineness of Hoyt's smile. But the visitor did not seem to register anything but sincerity. Both men picked up their handsets to start their conversation.

"Hi," the visitor got out eagerly.

Charles again sighed. He had to wonder a bit about his visitor. So young. So naive. _Oh to be so young and carefree_, thought Hoyt.

Theirs would not be a typical jailhouse conversation. No talk of family or friends. No talk about the case. Nothing mentioned about guilt or innocence. The visitor was there for that. He was there to convey information about several projects that Hoyt needed an update and that was all.

"So," Hoyt started. "Did you get your final grades?"

The fact that he had to speak in code irritated him. All of this was beneath him. But he knew others were listening and would listen so he had to continue down the path he had started.

"Not yet," the visitor answered. "Looks like I will get those next week."

Answer number one was obtained. Next week. That would work for his timeline.

"It's a shame that you don't have them now. I'm curious to see how you did," he said. "But I guess next week will do sufficiently."

"I'm sure I passed everything so I'm not worried about seeing them," the visitor said.

Answer number two was obtained. His visitor was confident that he would be able to fulfill his required part in Hoyt's scheme.

"Thanks good to hear," said Hoyt. Two answers down. Two more to go. "Will you be registering for summer classes?"

The visitor dropped his eyes and seemed nervous for the first time during the conversation. Hoyt already knew there was a problem with answer number three. The visitor made eye contact with Hoyt before answering. "I'm trying but it appears that my registration may be blocked," he said.

_Damn it!_ Hoyt thought. A portion of his plan seemed to be running into issues. He didn't have time for issues. "What seems to be the issue?" he asked.

"Part of my account is past due and I don't have the funds to settle the account. Until I can I can't register for the summer session."

Hoyt shook his head. The last thing he was going to let stop him from carrying out his plans was money. He looked at the visitor and didn't hide the fact that he was pissed. The visitor was taken aback by the cold, dead stare he was receiving and he swallowed hard suddenly wondering how his mouth got as dry as it had.

But in a flash Hoyt's eyes softened and he let the moment pass. "Contact your Uncle. He will help you settle the account. It is vital that you get registered for the summer session. There can't be a disruption in your education."

The visitor nodded indicating that he fully understood what his orders now were. He seemed to react better when Hoyt calmed down. "I'll get a hold of him as soon as we are done here today."

One last question to ask. "Are you still planning on taking that vacation you planned before the summer session starts?"

This question elicited a smile from the visitor. "Yes," he answered. "I've got the location picked out and everything. I can't wait to get away from everything for a little while."

Answer number four was a yes. His getaway location had been secured. Finally Hoyt gave the first genuine smile of the day.

R&I

Increasing square footage did not seem to help with Jane's overall feelings of nervousness or claustrophobia. She found she just had more rooms to pace around in when she arrived at Maura's Beacon Hill home. After 10 minutes of being unable to stand still she looked at Maura who to that point had just watched a cagey Jane pace back and forth.

"This is a mistake. I should just skip dinner altogether," she said.

"Ok, don't go," Maura answered calmly.

Jane looked at her surprised she had agreed with her so quickly. "So, we won't go then," she answered not completely convinced it was going to be that easy.

"If you don't want to go then we won't go. But you need to tell your mother something as to why you aren't coming," she pointed out.

"I can say I have a case," Jane said.

"You're not on call and that would be a lie. Do you really want to lie to her Jane?"

For someone who claimed not to be good with emotions Maura sure seemed to have mastered guilt fairly quickly. It hurt Jane fast. "No, I don't want to lie to her." Neither missed the emphasis Jane put on the word 'I'. "You could..." but she stopped before she finished the thought. She looked at Maura. "Sorry. I would never ask or want you to lie for me," she said.

"Jane face it. Even if you do skip out on dinner tonight, this isn't going away. You will have to explain yourself to her and the more you pull away the more she is going to dig to find out what's really wrong. You can't just keep avoiding them all. That's not the answer here either."

Jane knew Maura was right. Frankie already knew something was wrong. Her mother was suspicious. If she skipped out on dinner now Angela would mount a campaign until she got the truth out of her daughter.

"Let's go to dinner. I'll be by your side the entire time. We'll stay in the kitchen with Angela and you can focus in on her tonight. We'll get through this together."

Maura got up from the couch and walked over to Jane who finally stopped pacing. She took Jane's hand in hers and leaned in for a sweet, lingering kiss. She pulled back and looked at Jane. "Together."

They shared another kiss letting this one take on a life of its own. Jane could easily let herself get lost in Maura's kisses. And lost was where she wanted to be in that moment. It was Maura who finally pulled back. "Dinner?" she asked.

Jane simply nodded. Leaning forward and resting her forehead against Maura's she spoke. "Promise me one thing," she requested.

"Anything."

"No matter what, don't let me start anything in front of Ma." Deep down Jane was afraid she would say something to her father in front of her mother and she couldn't let that happen.

"I promise," Maura answered pulling Jane into a last embrace before they made their way out the front door.

R&I

They stopped at the store to get the items Angela requested and then headed over to the house. Jane was quiet for most of the drive and Maura didn't try to push the conversation. Pulling up to the house Jane parked the car but didn't make a move to release her seatbelt or get out of the car. She needed a minute to steel herself for the evening ahead.

She took a deep breath while reaching over to take Maura's hand. She slowly released the breath and turned to look at Maura. "Remember your promise."

Maura merely nodded and waited for Jane to release her seatbelt before she opened her car door. They walked together to the house and just like the first time to Jane's parent's house, they skipped using the front door and walked towards the backyard. This time Maura fully understood why Jane wasn't going to walk in through the front door.

They made their way into the kitchen and Jane hesitated for a moment but then called out her usual greeting. "Ma!"

Maura entered into the kitchen and placed the items from the store on one of the counters. She moved a bit out of the way but she was determined to stay as close to Jane as she could throughout the night. She wanted to be there for Jane and she was absolutely determined to make good on the promise she made Jane. The closer she was to Jane the better she felt she would be able to assist if an assist was needed.

Jane didn't even look towards the living room. She kept herself busy in the kitchen waiting for her mother to enter and join them. She went to the refrigerator and pulled out two bottles of water handing one to Maura. She wasn't planning on going within ten feet of alcohol that night. She wasn't even going to risk a loose tongue. She was just starting to lift lids off pots when she heard her mother.

"Janie!" Angela exclaimed and unlike last time she went straight to her daughter hugging her.

"Hi Ma," Jane acknowledged. "I got those things you wanted."

Angela pulled away from Jane and stared at her. She was quiet as she did this which immediately unnerved Jane. It was clear to Jane that Angela was scrutinizing her. She was sure her week long avoidance had sent warning signals to Angela's 'Mom' radar that Angela was trying to assess.

When Angela still hadn't released Jane from the embrace or the scrutiny Maura thought she needed to try to intervene. "Angela, do you need any of these items right now or can they be put away?"

Angela turned her attention to the as yet to be greeted Maura. She missed Jane's small smile knowing what Maura had just managed to do for her. "Maura," Angela greeted releasing Jane and turning her attention to the medical examiner. "I was so glad to hear that you would be joining us again." She had Maura in a hug in seconds and Maura felt more at ease for this one than the first time Angela had done that. "I'll need the pepper soon but the rest can get put away. Jane knows where everything goes."

Jane grabbed the milk and butter and put them both in the refrigerator. She thought about Maura's last family dinner and turned to Angela. "Is Tommy coming tonight?" She suddenly felt bad for being so wrapped up in her own problems that she had completely forgotten to consider if there could an issue with Maura and Tommy.

Angela shook her head. "No. He's working tonight."

This surprised Jane. She wasn't aware that Tommy had found a job. "Working? Since when?"

"If you would ever return my phone calls Jane you would know that he got hired at that convenience store that's a few blocks from his apartment. It's not much but it's something and it's close so he can walk to and from work."

Tommy had been furious with Jane for impounding his car. She refused to release it from the pound and since Tommy's license was suspended there really wasn't too much he could do about it. He should be thanking her since she was able to have the car stored at the police impound lot for no charge for the duration of Tommy's revocation. Jane promised him the day he was legal again and had proof of insurance she would personally free his car.

"It's a start anyway. I'm happy for him," Jane said hopeful that maybe things would improve for him in the near future.

"Dinner won't be ready for at least 30 minutes. Why don't you two go into the living room. Your brother has been looking for you Jane and I think there's a Sox game on," Angela said casually.

Jane flinched but recovered quickly. "Getting rid of me already Ma?" she tried to joke.

"No, but it's the Sox game," Angela said unsure why Jane hadn't immediately run from the kitchen like normal.

Before Jane could think of something to say Maura again stepped in. "Don't worry Jane. I'll stay and keep your mother company. There can't be too many embarrassing stories she can tell me about you as a child." She hoped that would accomplish two goals. One, she hoped Angela would turn her attention to Maura instead of Jane. And two, it would give Jane a plausible reason for not leaving the kitchen.

Angela fell for it. "Stories? Oh do I have stories," she said chuckling. Both Jane and Maura sat down and Jane nodded a quick nod of appreciation to Maura for what she had just managed. Given the alternative she could live with Maura knowing about a few regrettable childhood moments.

"If that's the agenda," Jane replied to her mother, "I think I need to hear all of this too. I'll need to defend myself I'm sure."

Angela looked back to Maura now not questioning why Jane was lingering in the kitchen. "Maura, Janie was just such a cute baby," Angela started and took a seat.

R&I

Twenty minutes later everyone in the kitchen was in hysterics except Jane. Frankie had joined the 'Jane stories' conversation halfway into the first story. Frank knew them all and had been content to pop his head in the kitchen to say a quick hello but then return to the game on TV.

"Jane," Maura said in between chuckles, "you really tried to go to school in just your underwear?"

"Underoos! Not underwear. There was a difference!" Jane feebly was trying to defend herself.

Frankie was vehemently shaking his head as he was cracking up. "No difference. Totally underwear!"

"You're one to talk! You had SpiderMan Underoos!" Jane again tried to make it all sound harmless.

"I did. But I never tried to wear mine to school," Frankie said still laughing.

"Maura, you have to understand. They were Wonder Woman Underoos. They were special," Jane said pleading for Maura to take her side.

"Maura, I'm positive I have a picture of all the kids in their Underoos somewhere up in the attic. Since you're not familiar with what they were I'm sure the picture will show you anything you would need to know to decide for yourself." Angela was giggling as they all chatted.

"No pictures!" Jane became insistent and the three just started to laugh again.

Angela calmed down first and looked at the time. "Alright, you three out of the kitchen. I need to get dinner on the table. Five minutes," she said to them all. Frankie retreated into the living room to rejoin his father but Jane took Maura and headed out to the back porch. Thankfully, no one seemed to question that.

Jane sat down on one of the steps and Maura quickly joined her. They were sitting shoulder to shoulder and Jane instinctively leaned into her weaving her arm through Maura's. Maura didn't object to the contact. They hadn't told Jane's family they were dating yet and with everything that happened with Frank that was the last thing on either woman's mind. But she liked the physical contact with Jane.

"Thank you," Jane said quietly but the meaning behind that thanks was not lost on Maura.

"Does it make me a bad person if I admit I had an ulterior motive?" Maura asked quietly.

"That depends on what that motive was," Jane answered.

"I just wanted to hear some stories about you as a child. I'm trying to picture a young Jane Rizzoli," Maura admitted.

Jane smiled. It was a genuine smile. The magic of the woman sitting next to her was unreal. She had managed to distract Jane, her mother and her brother enough to miss that there was something bothering Jane at the same time she was able to get Jane to forget her troubles and laugh a real, honest laugh for the first time in a week. Jane couldn't get passed the fact that Maura was just good for her soul.

"I was then a lot like I am now. Just a little shorter. Slightly scrawny. Very tomboyish," Jane listed.

"And I bet absolutely adorable," Maura added. She turned to make sure Angela was not watching before she leaned in and gave Jane a very quick kiss. She just couldn't help it.

She pulled away just as Angela hollered. "Dinner!"

R&I

Much to Jane's surprise, dinner was more relaxed than she thought. She let herself stay visually blocked from her father as best she could using Maura as a human shield as often as she could manage. The humor from the 'Jane stories' followed everyone to the table so the chatter flowed freely and the mood of the room was light and jovial. If anyone had suspected Jane had an issue specifically with a family member they wouldn't have gotten any evidence of it during dinner.

Until.

They were almost to dessert before it happened. Almost finished.

"Oh Jane, I forgot to tell you the best news," Angela said as the last few bites of dinner were disappearing from people's plates.

Jane gave her mother her full attention. "What news?"

"Your father is taking me to Italy for our 35th wedding anniversary!" There was no hiding Angela's excitement about this.

Jane froze. She tried to remember that she needed to recover and remain calm but there seemed to be a disconnect between her brain, her heart and her body. For the first time since she had walked through the door that day Jane looked directly at her father.

He was grinning from ear to ear. Proud of himself for arranging such a special gift for his wife of 35 years.

Jane's heart was suddenly breaking for her mother. Jane's anger was quickly rising. Maura was the first to notice the change in Jane. Distress was written all over her face. Maura was caught off guard by it all and in that moment couldn't think of a single thing to do or say that would allow for Jane's recovery.

All of the Rizzolis now seemed to pick up on the change to Jane's demeanor. It didn't help the situation that Jane and Frank's eyes were now locked onto each other. Before anyone could react Jane suddenly pushed back her chair and was virtually running out of the room. Angela thought she heard a stuttered "Not feeling good" but things had happened so fast she just wasn't sure.

Maura moved first to follow after Jane leaving the three remaining Rizzolis to just stare at each other and wonder what on Earth had just happened.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

"Jane?" Maura said hurriedly trailing after Jane. Jane had pushed herself away from the table and retreated into the kitchen but sensed that wasn't far enough removed from her current situation so she pushed open the back screen door and headed out of the house and into the backyard.

As Maura followed her trying to catch up she wondered if Jane was going to stop or just keep right on going. "Jane!" she said a little louder trying to get Jane to stop.

Jane made it halfway across the backyard before she realized she was outdoors. This caused her to stop. That allowed Maura to catch up with the fleeing detective.

But now that Maura had caught up with Jane she wasn't sure what to do or say. Hesitantly she placed her hand on Jane's shoulder once she was close enough to do so. She could feel Jane's entire body was trembling. It broke her heart.

"Are you alright?" Maura asked quietly.

"I just need a minute here," Jane answered. She was bouncing between rage and sadness and she just needed to get a handle on the emotions. Now that she was out of the house she regretted her sudden departure. She knew that was going to have to be explained. But she had felt herself about to confront her father and she couldn't do that to her mother. Fleeing seemed to be her best option.

Maura tightened her grip on Jane's shoulder finding herself again in the position of not knowing what exactly the right thing to do for Jane was in that moment. So she did the only thing she could do. She stood by Jane in silence.

"Italy. For their anniversary." Jane just let that statement linger out there for a minute. She turned to look at Maura suddenly wondering how she got so lucky to have the woman standing next to her in her life. "Maura, do you have any idea how long my mother has wanted to go to Italy?"

Maura didn't so she just shook her head.

Jane turned again and sat down on a bench swing that was in the backyard pulling Maura down onto the swing with her. "When I was twelve my folks had made plans to take a trip to Italy to celebrate their fifteenth wedding anniversary. My mother was so excited. I swear for an entire year leading up to the summer they were going to go on their trip all we heard about was Italy.

"All the things she was going to get to do and see when they got there. She spent the year practicing her Italian day after day. That's the only reason I even know the language. We heard it in the house every day for almost a year.

"Ma had this old spiral notebook. I think it was one of my old school notebooks. But she kept this notebook at the nightstand next to her bed and every time she had a thought or an idea about something to do with Italy she would write it down. I remember I looked through it once and it was completely filled with places and ideas she wanted to do or see. Things I'd never even heard of before but it was almost as if a new idea had occurred to her each night.

"And my father was excited too. He was never as outwardly demonstrative with his emotions as Ma but we could tell he was excited about the trip too. He had worked so hard to save up the extra money for the trip. I think I was the only one who understood just how many extra hours and side jobs he did in that year leading up to the trip. I helped him with at least half of them.

"But he never complained. Job after job. Week and week. He put in all the extra hours he could to get the money. I mean we were never poor. But we were never rich either. There was always enough for everything any of us needed when we were kids. Clothes, food, new toys, all the extra activities we each did. I never worried about not having the money to do something I wanted. But I never really thought we had 'extra' money for large vacations.

"And watching how hard my father had to work to get the money for the trip just seemed to confirm for me that this trip was a luxury for the two of them. Something special for them that was outside the normal day to day that we did."

"I take it they didn't get to take the trip?" Maura asked. She had listened to Jane talk without interrupting her for as long as she could. Despite the unfortunate circumstances that prompted the story Jane was telling, she found herself thinking she loved listening to Jane talk. She loved the sound and tone of Jane's voice. She knew she could listen to that voice for the rest of her life.

Jane nodded. "My grandmother got really sick about a month before they were supposed to leave for Italy. She had a heart attack. My mother was too afraid to travel that far away in case something happened so they agreed to postpone the trip. My aunt tried to get them to agree to still go but neither one wanted to leave with what was going on. My father insisted that they would just reschedule the trip for either later that summer or the next year.

"But then that next year just never came. Things, life really, just seemed to always get in the way. After a while my mother stopped speaking in Italian around the house. And eventually that old spiral notebook just disappeared. They never made it to Italy." Jane was quiet for a minute before speaking again. "Twenty years. My mother has been waiting to go to Italy for twenty years."

Maura knew that Jane was still conflicted over what to do about what her father was doing. After listening to Jane's story she now had the sense that Jane may have just added not wanting to take Italy away from her mother yet again to the list of concerns all of this was weighing on her. She went to say something but they were both startled by an interruption.

"Jane?" Both women looked up and saw Frank walking out of the house and towards them.

R&I

Maura felt Jane's entire body immediately tense up. Instinctively she reached down and took Jane's hand into hers.

Frank seemed to be walking towards the two women in slow motion. But then as if it had happened instantly he was standing in front of them both.

"Jane, are you ok?" he asked with a deep look of concern.

Jane stared at him but didn't speak. Maura stared at Jane. Frank stared at them both.

"Your mother was about to come out here and question you but I thought maybe I'd save you from that and check on you myself," he said. His tone was loving and casual. There was just a hint of humor behind his words. He was sure Jane wanted to be dealing with him more than her mother.

Jane still just stared at her father.

"Jane?" he looked between Jane and Maura not understanding anything about what was going on or what was wrong with his daughter. He was now starting to get concerned. "Maura, do you know what's going on here?" he turned his attention to the doctor hoping she could shed some light on his daughter's behavior.

That seemed to snap Jane out of her silence. "Don't involve her in this," she said. She didn't try to hide her sense of anger.

Frank turned back to look at Jane. He picked up on her tone. He just didn't understand it. "In that case, Maura might I have a few minutes alone with Jane?" he asked.

Maura felt Jane's hand tighten around hers. Maura was about to tell Frank she wasn't going anywhere but Jane spoke first. Maura was surprised by what she told her. "It's alright Maura. Why don't you go inside and collect our things. I think I should really go home now."

Maura looked at Jane not sure if she should leave the two of them alone. But Jane nodded her head to Maura and with that Maura squeezed Jane's hand one more time and stood up. "Jane, I'll get everything and let your mother know that we are going to be leaving." She then released Jane's hand and walked back towards the house. She stopped one time before getting too far away from Jane and looked at her. She wanted confirmation that Jane did want a few minutes alone with Frank. Jane nodded once more to Maura so she continued into the house.

Once Maura was to the porch Frank took her place next to Jane on the swing. He couldn't help but notice Jane flinch when he sat down. "Alright young lady," he started. "Out with it."

Jane looked straight ahead but didn't say anything for a minute. Frank just sat waiting. "I can wait here all day Jane," he said as a subtle way to remind Jane that he had more patience than she did.

Finally Jane spoke to him. It was the first time all night. "How could you?" was what she got out.

"How could I what? Wait for you all night?" he asked confused.

"How can you just act like there's nothing going on?" she asked again. "How can you come home every day and pretend like everything is just ok?"

He still had no idea what she was talking about and he was about to press her for more information but she cut him off.

"Who is she?" she asked in a flat, dead tone.

For the first time since he walked outside Jane noticed her father flinch. But he tried to recover. "Who are you talking about?"

"Pop, just don't. Don't treat me like I'm an idiot. And don't think I can't figure out who she is without your help. Just because I haven't tried yet doesn't mean I can't. Or I won't. Who is she?" She kept her stare straight ahead as she asked the questions.

"She's no one Jane," he answered.

Jane was somewhat surprised he had acknowledged her existence that quickly. "You'd jeopardize thirty four years of marriage for a no one? Please at least be able to sit there and tell me she's someone you love. Someone you just can't live without. That you don't know how it happened and you are trapped. Don't let this really be over someone you label a 'no one'."

Frank sat on the bench swing and appeared to be at a loss for words. Jane understood immediately how to interpret his silence. The woman really was a nobody. The very thought made her nauseous.

"Does Ma know?"

Frank shook his head. "Jane, your mother and I," he paused. "There are things about our relationship that you just don't know about."

"Does she know?" Jane asked again sterner.

Frank again shook his head staying quiet this time.

"How long?" Jane asked.

"There are problems in our life Jane that you just don't understand," he tried to rationalize with her.

"Damn it Pop! Just answer the question. How long has this been going on?" she needed to know. Was this a one time thing? Had it just happened? She needed answers.

"A couple of months," he admitted.

Jane was quiet for a minute but then asked what to her was the next most logical question. "Was she the first?"

The simple hesitation she witnessed from him gave her the only answer she needed. She suddenly felt lost. She could no longer recognize the man sitting next to her. She stood up and turned towards him.

"You have two choices Pop. Either you tell her. Or I will." Jane said in a cold tone.

"Jane," he started but he was cut off.

"You or me. But one of us is going to have that conversation," she warned.

Frank didn't know what to say or do. "Why?" he asked quietly.

"Because I love her enough not to lie to her," she answered back. "You or me. I'll give you until tomorrow to decide." With that she started to walk back towards the house leaving a stunned Frank sitting on the swing.

R&I

Maura's mind was racing as she walked back towards the house. She had no idea what she was going to tell Angela about what was going on and she was sure Angela would be standing at the door waiting for her. She wasn't good in situations like this. She couldn't lie. She would break out in hives if she lied and if the situation was stressful enough she was even prone to vasovagal incidents. As she drew closer the Rizzoli backdoor she was pretty sure she would be facing one if not both issues soon.

She didn't even make it through the door before a very worried Angela was in front of her. "Maura, what's wrong with Jane?"

Maura attempted to sidestep the woman to fully enter the kitchen. She needed to grab her purse. That may have been the only time in her life she ever wished she had never carried a purse. Jane never did. If she hadn't they could have just left without Maura having to come back into the house. Maura silently cursed her need for fashion accessories in that moment.

Maura thought maybe she could try a diversion. "Angela, have you seen my purse? Jane and I are going to be leaving soon," she tried. It was a pathetic attempt at a diversion but she had to try.

"It's on the kitchen counter. Leaving? What's wrong with Jane? She ran out of the room so fast. Do you know what's going on?" Angela shifted her gaze from Maura to the backyard watching Frank talk with Jane.

Maura flashed to something Jane had told her once when they were talking about how Jane handled Angela when she was a little over the top.

_"Maura, the key to handling my mother sometimes is knowing how to give non-answer answers," Jane said._

_"You mean lie?" Maura asked._

_"No. Not lie exactly. Just an answer that really isn't an answer."_

_Maura looked confused. "I'm not exactly sure I understand what you mean," she admitted._

_Jane sighed. "It all comes down to giving an answer that is technically true but excludes or overlooks certain pieces of information you would rather not share. It's the art of avoidance and misdirection."_

Avoidance and misdirection. Both were definitely needed here. So Maura gave it her best shot. "Angela, Jane experienced a sudden release of cortisol, adrenaline and noradrenaline into her bloodstream that caused her heart rate, respiration rate and blood pressure to temporarily increase. The episode has passed but we both feel that she should head home and get some rest." All technically true. All physiological reactions to stress. Maura was almost proud of herself at her first attempt at a non-answer answer. Now she just hoped it would work.

Angela's head turned again towards the backyard. "My poor baby," she let out. "I knew she was getting sick. I even asked Frankie this morning if Jane was sick. She wasn't returning text messages all morning. She's exhausted. She works too many hours. She lets herself get run down."

Maura was suddenly taken by how quickly Angela kicked into gear. She was moving around the kitchen like a woman on a mission and before Maura could really piece together what Angela was doing she was being presented with several leftover containers of food and her purse.

"Will you please make sure that Jane gets home alright. And that she eats something again later. And that she gets some rest. She never lets me make a fuss over her but I think she would let you look after her. You are a doctor after all. She shouldn't have an issue if you tried to make sure she was taking care of herself.

"You're very good for her Maura," Angela acknowledged. "She's different around you. I know we haven't had a chance to spend much time together just the two of us, but I'd like to sometime. Lunch or something? I'd really like a chance to get to know you better."

Before Maura could even answer that Jane was suddenly in the kitchen. She was pale and a little shaky. Angela had her in a gentle embrace within seconds. "Oh honey, you need to go home and get into bed. Maura will drive you home. She has plenty of leftovers and she promises to look after you."

Jane's eyes opened wide with a questioning look at Maura trying to understand how Maura had diverted Angela in such a manner that she was insisting that Jane go home. Maura, for her part, simply shrugged and offered up the containers as proof of leftovers.

"Now go. You look worn out. Straight to bed young lady. Doctor's orders," she turned and smiled at Maura. Angela released Jane from the hug and walked her to the backdoor. Maura quietly followed. Angela gave Maura a hug before whispering. "Take care of her." Maura merely nodded and both Jane and Maura headed to the car.

"What's wrong with Janie?" Frankie asked as he entered the kitchen and watched his mother watching Jane and Maura get into their car.

"I told you she was sick," she replied back. "A mother knows these things." She turned to Frankie. "Now, help me clear the table."

"Ma," Frankie whined but started to do as he was told.

Neither seemed to notice that Frank hadn't gotten up from the bench swing in the backyard since Jane had walked away.

R&I

Maura looked over at Jane as she drove. Jane hadn't said anything since they had left the house. Maura didn't want to push her before she was ready to talk. "So, your place or mine?" she asked not exactly sure where Jane wanted to be.

In a quiet voice she answered. "Mine." Her tone was flat.

Maura nodded and couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. She was hoping Jane would come back to her place so she could keep an eye on her. But if Jane wanted to be alone at her own place Maura would take her.

As if sensing Maura's thoughts Jane added, "Will you stay with me?"

"Of course," she replied immediately. And immediately she felt better about taking Jane to her apartment.

The rest of the drive was filled with silence. Jane just stared out the window watching the world drift by. Maura pulled up to Jane's place and parked the car. They got out and Maura gathered all of the containers Angela had prepared before they both headed up the stairs.

Once inside Maura went into the kitchen to put away the leftovers and get them both a drink. She turned to ask Jane if she wanted water or beer but didn't see Jane in the living room. She put the containers away and then went looking for Jane.

She found her in her bedroom. Jane was laying on the bed curled up onto her side. The sight of her nearly broke Maura's heart.

She walked around to the other side of the bed and sat down. When Jane didn't protest she slid herself up completely against Jane's back letting one arm drape over her stomach and the other she allowed to lightly brush through Jane's hair. Jane grabbed the arm Maura draped across her stomach and she interlaced her fingers with Maura's. They both lay there quietly taking comfort in the presence of the other.

"I can't really talk about it tonight," Jane said apologetically. She knew Maura was wondering how the conversation with her father went.

Maura continued to run her fingers through Jane's hair. "You don't have to," she said reassuringly. "I'm here. Whenever you are ready." She felt Jane's hold on her hand tighten.

"Promise me something?" Jane asked.

"Anything," Maura replied.

"Promise me that we won't ever drift so far apart that we could hurt each other that way."

Maura wasn't expecting that but she gave an answer. "I promise I'll do everything in my power to never hurt you."

Jane let that linger for a minute before shifting on the bed and turning into Maura's arms. She was now looking directly into Maura's eyes. Eyes she knew she could easily get lost in if given half a chance. She let her hand gently stroke Maura's cheek before speaking.

"I'm in love with you." The ease in which she said it didn't seem to take either woman by surprise. "I need for you to know that. The past few months have been the happiest I've ever been and that's entirely because of you. You make me happy. I'm at a point where I can't even begin to imagine my life without you in it."

Maura kept her eyes locked in with Jane's. "I love you too," she replied. "I've never had anyone in my life who makes me feel the way that you do. Who makes me feel special. I don't ever want to be without you. As much as you make me happy, I love you because you make me whole."

Maura leaned in and captured Jane's lips with hers. The kiss grew in meaning and intensity. It was to become their first kiss as lovers.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

Assistant District Attorney Patrick Hagan sat in a chair across the desk from his boss. "Now he wants a psych evaluation," Hagan was complaining.

"Do you think his lawyer is trying for an insanity defense now?" the DA asked.

"I don't know. Maybe. When we first tried to talk about a deal he told me Hoyt was vehemently against any psych evaluations or the use of an insanity defense. But maybe his lawyer convinced him that it was his last option." Hagan was frustrated. He had thought with Dr. Isles' performance at the prelim he would avoid the need for a trial. His schedule was jammed and a trial was the last thing he wanted. Especially a multiple murder, kidnapping and rape trial. Those never went fast.

"Prepare yourself for the insanity defense. If the judge grants his motion for a psych eval let's make sure we have our guy do an evaluation as well," the DA noted.

"That will delay the start of the trial," Hagan pointed out.

The DA nodded. "A couple of weeks won't make a difference either way. Get up to the State hospital and brief Dr. Anderson. I want his evaluation on record. Let's be ready to fight any insanity defense."

Hagan nodded and murmured under his breath about schedules and calendars as he walked out of the DA's office.

R&I

Jane sat at her desk staring absentmindedly at her computer screen. She wasn't normally one to get lost in thought but after the night she had spent with Maura it seemed inevitable.

Thoughts of the night continued to creep into Jane's subconscious the entire morning. The feel of Maura's lips against hers. The softness of Maura's hands as they explored her body. The intoxicating scent of a woman Jane was absolutely certain she loved. All of Jane's sensory functions seemed to still be in overdrive and she found if she concentrated hard enough she could almost still feel the incredible warmth of Maura's body against hers.

She longed for that contact again. She loved her job but today was one of those rare occasions where she desperately wanted to be somewhere else. Doing something else. Making love with the woman she adored.

Jane was sure she never felt like this before just as she was sure she would never feel this way about anyone other than Maura. The physical dynamic of their relationship had finally begun and she couldn't be happier about that. But it was more than that. There was an indescribable connection between herself and the doctor that she hadn't expected. It was overwhelming but in such a manner that it made Jane appreciate it more than fear it.

She had found her one. Her one and only. She was sure of it. She was certain that she would do anything to make Maura feel loved and wanted every day of her life. It felt right to make that her mission. To make up for all the time lost in aloneness. She would see to it. Maura would never be alone again. They would tackle the world together.

"Rizzoli!" came the shout across the bullpen.

Hearing her name shocked her back into the present. Jane looked up to see Lt. Cavanaugh standing in the doorway of his office looking over at her. "My office please," he added and turned around heading back inside.

Jane got up and went to his doorway. "Yes Sir?" she asked before entering.

"Come in and sit down," Cavanaugh said. Jane complied. "Vince has told me that he's discussed his impending retirement with you."

"Yes Sir, he has," she answered. "The station is losing a good cop and an even better man."

"I would agree with you. And before you ask, I did try to talk him out of retiring but he is set in his ways. He has already submitted the paperwork."

"I know. I tried to talk him out of it too. But he wants this," Jane said. She was still conflicted. She remained happy for him but wasn't looking forward to losing him as a partner.

"Jane, Vince and I talked at length about how to handle replacing him," Cavanaugh started. He couldn't help but notice the immediate change in Jane's body language.

"Considering I'm going to be the one who has to work with someone new don't you think I should have been involved in that conversation?" she asked not hiding her annoyance.

"Keep your shirt on Rizzoli," Cavanaugh said. "I was merely asking Vince's opinion about an idea. Now I'm asking yours." That calmed Jane down a little. "Vince isn't officially done until the end of the year. But to honest with you I'm worried about the transition period for you and a new partner. Jane, you and Vince have the best closure rate in the department. I don't want that disrupted because you are distracted breaking in a new partner."

"And you have an idea on how to avoid that?" Jane asked.

"I think so. I'm thinking about naming your new partner now and letting him start working with you right now."

"No," Jane practically hollered. "I only have a couple of more months with Vince as it is. I'm not going to give those up for some other detective."

"Easy Jane," Cavanaugh tried to calm her down. "Let me finish explaining. My thought was to add your future new partner to your team. He could get trained by both you and Vince. You two could get used to working with each other and that way when Vince is ready to be done you and the new guy already have a feel for each other."

Jane thought about that. It did seem to make sense. Plus, Vince could help give his opinion of a new partner in case the guy turned out to be a real tool. She looked at Cavanaugh. "Vince is ok with this?" She was a little worried that Vince would start to feel unwanted or replaced.

"He thinks it's a good idea. I think he wants to make sure that you end up completely happy with your new partner before he can walk away. He made me promise that he had veto rights for any candidate in case the guy is 'a tool' as he described."

Jane couldn't help but laugh. And she was touched. Her partner was trying to make sure she was going to be ok without him. "Alright, if Vince is ok with this so am I. And for the record I also get veto powers in case the new guy is a tool," she said looking at Cavanaugh.

Truth be told, he would give Jane whatever she wanted. She was the best detective he had and there was no way he was going to have her lose her edge from something as simple as partner chemistry. He'd make sure she had a good partner.

"Alright then. The new guy will start working with you both starting Monday," Cavanaugh stated.

Jane nodded. She figured the Lieutenant already had someone in mind. "Does the new guy have a name?"

"Frost. Barry Frost."

R&I

"You got your time," the lawyer confirmed to Hoyt. "The judge granted the motion for a psych evaluation. You will have to go through sessions with both our psychiatrist and the DA's. But that will buy you three more weeks."

"Three weeks?" Hoyt asked looking for confirmation.

"Three more weeks. I just spoke with the Clerk of the Court and we've been rescheduled on the docket. Charles, there will be no more delays. Your trial starts in exactly a month."

Hoyt smiled. That would be perfect. Just absolutely perfect. The wasted time dealing with two quack shrinks was a small price to pay for the certainty that all his plans now had the time required to come together.

There were times when he was reminded of exactly how brilliant he truly was. Looking back at his clueless lawyer he knew that this was one of those times. He let his smile grow bigger.

R&I

_"Maura darling, it's your mother. Your father and I will be traveling through Boston next weekend and we scheduled a layover that would allow us to see you. I'll email you all of the details. Looking forward to seeing you dear."_

R&I

"I still can't believe any of this Jane," Frankie said not really knowing what else to do or say in that moment.

Jane sat across in a booth across from both her brothers. They had agreed to start having dinner together more often to talk about what was going with their parents.

It had been two weeks since Frank admitted to Angela that he had been having an affair. It had been two weeks of hell for the entire Rizzoli clan. Frank and Angela got into a huge fight after Frank came clean. Angela threw him out of the house.

Jane couldn't help but think back to her conversation with Frank.

_First thing Monday morning Jane walked into Rizzoli Plumbing and headed straight for her father's office. She had given him the night to decide what he was going to do and she hadn't been kidding about that. She didn't even knock when she got to the office. She just entered._

_"Jane," Frank said seemingly disappointed to be seeing her._

_"You or me Pop?" she asked in a cold, hard tone. She wasn't interested in any pleasantries. She wanted to be anywhere but where she was standing in that moment._

_Frank exhaled loudly looking at his daughter. "Janie, please. Can't we talk about this?" he tone was desperate._

_"The conversation that is needed here isn't between you and me. It's between you and Ma. So no, we can't talk about this. All I want to know is if you will have that conversation with her or am I going to have to do it?" Jane was absolutely resolved about this. She didn't want to hurt her mother but there was no way she was going to carry Frank's 'secret'._

_"Jane, I'll stop seeing Karen," Frank tried to bargain._

_That just managed to piss Jane off. "Don't!" she exclaimed in a tone her father had never heard come from her. It took him by surprise. "You don't get to try bartering with your phoosy whore of a girlfriend with me. Now, I'm going to ask you one more time and just once more. Answer the question or I'll consider any non-answer to be your choice. You or me?" Jane gave a hard stare at her father. _

_Frank dropped his eyes and didn't say anything for a minute. Jane's patience for his silence ran out and she turned to walk out of the office._

_"Jane wait," Frank said just before she was all the way out of the office. _

_Jane turned back to look at him but didn't say anything._

_"I'll talk to her tonight," he said admitting defeat._

_Jane nodded and again went to leave the office._

_"Jane," her father called. "I'm...I'm sorry." he offered up in a quiet tone._

_"After thirty four years of marriage I would hope to God you would at least be that," Jane said dismissively as she made the escape from the office she so desperately wanted._

Frank had the decency to not try to ask Jane for a place to stay. But he tried both of the boys. Frankie was so pissed at him he slammed the door in Frank's face. Tommy relented and let Frank sleep on his couch. Neither Jane nor Frankie were upset with Tommy for allowing that but it put Tommy in the middle of the continuing fighting between Frank and Angela.

Jane was worried about the impact of that on Tommy. He had been sober for just over six weeks and she was worried that getting caught up in the midst of their parents drama was the last thing Tommy needed. He was finally turning his life around. No more drinking. He'd held onto the job at the convenience store and there was even talk about him getting a promotion to a key carrier.

"I know Frankie. I know. But it's happening. It's just that there isn't much we can do about it. They have to work out their issues on their own," she tried to be reasonable.

"Pop told me Ma wants them to go to a marriage counsellor," Tommy added.

"If he wants her to take him back that's the very least he can do," Frankie said. Of the three of them, Frankie seemed to take their father's infidelity the hardest. Jane understood. Frankie had once told her that he felt like he learned everything there was to learn about being a man from his father. He used to be proud of that fact. But now he felt betrayed. And angry. He refused to see Frank for any reason. Jane could tell their father's fall from grace was something that was going to be painful for Frankie for quite some time.

"Stay out of that Frankie," Jane cautioned her brother. The three Rizzolis had resolved a few dinners prior to try to stay out of any direct marriage interactions between the two sides. They had all agreed their role in this was to make sure Angela was taken care of as best they could without falling into the trap of being in the middle of the issues with the marriage.

Again, considering Frank was sleeping on Tommy's couch, Tommy was probably having the hardest time staying within those boundaries. Angela, to her credit, had not gotten upset with Tommy for allowing Frank to stay with him. She understood that regardless of the current state of their marriage Frank was still their father and she wasn't mad if and when any of the kids had seen or spoken with Frank. As of that night, the only Rizzoli willing to do that was Tommy.

"I was just thinking out loud Jane," Frankie admitted. "I'm staying out of that actual discussion."

"I know you are little brother," Jane said reassuredly. Wanting to re-focus her brothers attention she shifted subjects. "Ok, so we need to talk the schedule for this week."

Both Rizzoli boys groaned. If Jane hadn't been the one to say it she would have groaned too. The schedule had become a dreaded topic of discussion between the three of them.

Once Angela threw out Frank the kids all decided to rotate turns staying with Angela at night. None of them had wanted her to be alone in the house at night with everything that was going on. So they started dividing up nights each could be with Angela.

"The good news is that I can do the entire weekend," Jane offered. Maura's parents were coming through Boston that weekend and Jane knew she wouldn't be sleeping over at Maura's while her parents were in the guesthouse. Maura and Jane had talked about it and while she would have dinner with Maura's parents one of the nights they were in town she wanted Maura to have time with them alone.

The boys, hearing that the weekend was taken care of, suddenly started volunteering for the weeknights. It had been the weekend nights that had caused the most issues. It was mostly scheduling. Frankie's rookie cop status had still hampered his ability to get any weekends off, Tommy was usually putting in double shifts over the weekend at work and Jane was on-call three out of four weekends a month and always seemed to have a call Friday night going into Saturday morning.

With Jane's claim to the coming weekend, the schedule for Angela was wrapped up before dinner was even brought out to the siblings. None of them were sure how long they could continue to keep Angela company at night but none of them were ready to stop trying to be there for her yet. All three were pretty sure they would be keeping this up until there was a more permanent status in their parent's marriage. Good or bad.

As dinner was served to the trio the topic of conversation was allowed to shift away from their folk's drama.

"So Janie," Frankie said in between bites of food. "The rumor at the station is that you and the Doc are sleeping together."

Tommy dropped his fork and looked over at his sister. Frankie joined Tommy in a similar stare down. Jane simply continued to eat her dinner not responding.

After about a minute of silence she finally looked up. "Did you have something you wanted to ask me Frankie?" she asked. She had heard the rumors. She'd heard them from the minute Maura and her had gone for their first cup of coffee together. But Frankie's comment was just that. A comment. Not a question.

Finally it dawned on him just that fact. "Alright, I guess I'm asking. Are you and Dr. Isles...together?" he asked.

Jane put her fork down and looked at both of her brothers. She was pretty sure what each of their reactions was going to be. Jane had discussed this with Maura about a week ago. They still weren't advertising their relationship but they were answering direct, specific questions if the right people were asking.

"Yes," she said. Plain and simple. She picked up her fork and returned to her dinner.

In a matter of seconds both brothers were smiling at her.

"That's awesome Jane," Tommy was the first one to say anything. "She's lucky to have you in her life."

Jane appreciated that comment. She knew Tommy got along well with Maura once he was able to apologize to her for what happened when they first met each other. Maura had, about a month ago, requested that Jane, Tommy and she all go out for dinner together to clear the air. Tommy had been sober for a couple of weeks and had been a little nervous about seeing Maura again.

Unbeknownst to Jane, Maura had sent a very nice email to Tommy explaining that she didn't have any ill will towards him, that she understood he wasn't himself the night they first met and that it would mean a lot to her to have a chance to get to know him. In the email she said she wanted to be friends because his sister loved him very much and she wanted to have a good relationship with the people in Jane's life. Tommy was so touched by her willingness to forgive him he had printed out the email and carried it around with him in his wallet.

"Thanks Tommy," Jane said. "But the truth is that I'm the lucky one."

Tommy shook his head. "Not from where I'm sitting," was all he said. He understood all of the things Jane, and Frankie, had done for him when he was drunk and the simple fact that she hadn't ever written him off or cut him out of her life when he had given her valid reason to many times over made Tommy's love for his sister endless. "Maura's one lucky lady Jane. Trust me on that one."

Frankie couldn't help but smile at Jane and Tommy's interaction. He wasn't surprised by Jane's answer. And he, too, was happy for her. He had noticed a change in Jane from the day she first mentioned Maura Isles. He had quietly sat back and watched his sister slowly let herself become happier and happier and it didn't take a rocket scientist to piece together that Maura was the root cause of the change with his sister.

Frankie idolized Jane. He always had. She was an excellent big sister. Theirs was a unique relationship. Not too many siblings could say that they had gotten through their whole lives without ever having a fight. But that was Frankie and Jane. Never a fight. Never a cross word spoken in anything more than jest between the two.

She was the reason he was a cop. He watched all she was able to do and give to the community and he wanted that for himself as well. When he joined the force and went through the academy all he heard about was how good his sister was or what things she did that no one else seemed to be able to do. Some people would be upset or threatened by all of that. But not Frankie. He took pride in how people talked about Jane. That was his sister. And if he was going to get compared to anyone on the planet he was more than happy to be compared to his sister. That was just fine with him.

"Wow, my big sister has bagged a doctor," Frankie answered with a grin. He had to duck quickly as a hunk of bread came sailing at him.

"Frankie, have some respect for Maura!" Jane exclaimed.

This just made Frankie laugh. "Man Jane. You've got it bad for her." It warmed his heart that he was right when he said that.

Jane smirked. "Maybe I do," she admitted.

"Does Ma know?" Frankie asked. Jane merely nodded. Frankie smiled. "She finally got her a doctor in the family."


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

"Excuse me Dr. Isles?" came a voice from the doorway to the lab.

Maura had been in the middle of attempting to extract a bullet from the lung of the nineteen year old male that was lying on her table. She didn't look up at the figure in the doorway as her attention was much too focused on the task at hand.

Jane, who had been observing the autopsy of her latest assigned case, did turn and look at the young man standing in the doorway. She wasn't familiar with him but she hadn't gotten a chance to meet all of the lab staff as of yet. Since she started dating Maura she found she spent more and more time in the morgue and the faces of the lab techs were all starting to become more and more familiar.

Finally Maura had successfully removed the bullet and placed it in a container closing the lid. She handed it to Jane. "9 millimeter," she noted and then turned her attention to the man at the door. "Did you need something Mr. Allister?"

The man's face flushed a little having been called 'Mr.' by the doctor but he spoke. "I was just going to let you know that all of the lab results you inquired about this morning are now ready and are available in the system. I also placed a hard copy on your desk." He had come to know that Dr. Isles liked to look at some of the lab reports on paper instead of just on a computer screen.

Maura nodded. "Thank you Mr. Allister," she acknowledged.

The man was about to turn and walk away when he spun back to ask a question. "Dr. Isles?"

"Yes," she replied.

"I was wondering if it would be possible to observe your next autopsy from the beginning," he asked eagerly.

Maura smiled. She enjoyed helping along in the teaching process whenever she could. "I can't make any guarantees but if we can find a situation in which you have the free time I'm sure that can be arranged."

The man beamed at that answer. "Thank you Doctor," he said and again turned to leave.

Jane was about to speak when the man came back one last time, "I'm sorry Dr. Isles but did you know that there is a man out here getting sick into one of the trashcans?"

Both Jane and Maura had to fight not to start laughing. "Yes Mr. Allister, I am aware of where and what Detective Frost is doing. Thank you," she dismissed the young man.

Once the door closed for good Jane let out the snicker she had been holding in. Poor Frost. His transition from Robbery to Homicide had been painful on his stomach. "Jane, you shouldn't laugh at him. Nausea is a perfectly natural reaction when you aren't accustomed to witnessing an autopsy."

"It's not just autopsies Maura. He loses his lunch at the sight of any blood," she commented still snickering. She had only spent a few days with Detective Frost to that point and she would be the first one to admit that she liked the guy but he really needed to harden his stomach if he was going to make it in Homicide. "Who was that kid?" she asked trying to get herself to stop laughing at her probable future partner.

"Jackson Allister. He's a new intern here," Maura answered.

Jane peaked her head up. "Allister? As in the Allister family?" The family was second only to the Kennedys in Massachusetts for power and notoriety.

Maura nodded. "He's a fourth year medical student at Harvard and is doing an internship here to help determine if pathology is a discipline he wants to pursue."

Jane thought about that for a minute and was impressed that someone of his background was still trying to do something with his life more than enjoy the money he was born into. "Let me know if find anything more on this kid," she said nodding to the kid on the table. "I should go check on Frost."

R&I

_**Two years ago**_

_Jackson Allister III had a privileged existence. Born into wealth and power he had spent his life having people tell him how great and wonderful he was. How much he was destined to achieve. All the good he would do for the world. To anyone watching it seemed to be the ideal life. The charmed life. The perfect life._

_But it wasn't ideal. It wasn't charmed. And it certainly wasn't perfect. For Jackson, life was void. Empty. Hollow. Meaningless. He never found anything he felt passion for. Never could connect with anything or anyone for that matter. His family talked around him or at him. Never with him or to him._

_His friends weren't his own. They were status figures all meticulously selected by his mother or occasionally his father. All meant to continue to grow the family network and increase the contacts he was to have in life. All placed into his life for a reason other than simple companionship. Pawns on a chessboard in a game of life in which he wasn't even a player._

_He had no romance. No love to speak of. The girls he dated seemed to be empty shells without context or character but had the right last names or placements in the social strata that so dominated his life. Jackson played his role. He wined and dined as he was expected to. He ever slept with a few of them. More to ensure it got around that he had an active sex life than for any real desire for the physical activities. Again, outside appearances were vital in his world._

_But without passion or a connection to another living soul, Jackson Allister III often felt as if he was just going through the motions. His life had become a series of tedious tasks that just seemed to propel him from one day to the next. It was a sad existence for him and he was looking for something, anything, to change that in his life._

_And then, one day, he found that anything. And he found it in the most unexpected place. Jackson was a smart kid. A product of his privilege and wealth. He attended all the right schools and took all the right classes. He could have been anything he wanted to be in life if he had ever been inspired to do something more than pass from one class to the next._

_The path his life took through college was not of his choosing. He mindlessly followed in his father's footsteps. Not from a desire to do so but more for the sake of convenience. It seemed to make his life easier. His father was proud and happy. Something new to gloat about on the golf course with his equally vain cohorts. His son, the future doctor, was a chip off the ol' block._

_Harvard Medical School was just assumed. By everyone. Almost as if it was his birthright. It didn't seem to matter to him that he would have earned entrance into the esteemed university on his own merits. His own merits weren't necessary. Harvard had been holding a place for him since he was born._

_So when Jackson stopped into the medical school bookstore to pick up a coursebook that had been sold out during his previous visit he hadn't expected to have his entire life change as a direct result. However, by the end of his time spent in that bookstore that day he would leave understanding that his life was never going to be the same again._

_He simply had asked a clerk for a textbook. That's how it had started. Simple. Innocent. Easy. The clerk was an older gentleman but Jackson usually didn't make it a habit to review or remark about help. Only, there seemed to be something different about this clerk. Something about his eyes made Jackson take notice and then remarkably he started up a conversation with the man._

_He had only meant to ask a question or two to pass the time while the clerk looked to see if the textbook in question was available in stock. But one question turned into twenty. It happened that quickly. The store clerk was just so inviting and open. And frank. Seeming not to care one fraction that he was chatting with Jackson Allister III. The name, the status, the power made no difference to this curious man._

_Two hours after he entered the medical school bookstore Jackson Allister III left feeling alive for the first time in his life. He had finally met someone he connected with and he understood that nothing in his life would ever be the same. He left counting down the hours before he would get a chance to see and talk with Charles Hoyt again._

R&I

Jane sat watching Maura frantically pace back and forth. She had never seen Maura act this way before. Maura was nothing if not confident in all things she did. But nevertheless she found herself sitting on the couch in Maura's family room helplessly watching the woman she loved have a near panic attack. They still had two hours before they needed to even leave for the airport. Nothing she tried seemed to be able to get Maura to relax. Jane wasn't sure Maura was going to survive the two hours.

"Come on Maura," Jane pleaded again. "At least sit down for a few minutes. You are wearing out a path on the carpet."

Maura stopped looking down afraid she had done something to damage the carpet. It wasn't until she thought about it that she realized that it was just a figure of speech. She looked over at Jane and sighed. "I'm sorry," she said and finally walked over to the couch to sit down.

As soon as she sat down Jane grabbed her and pulled her in tight. She wasn't going to let the woman go for at least a little while so the hold she had on her was a strong one.

"Can I ask why you are so nervous?" she tried to gently tread into this subject not wanting to push Maura too hard.

Maura was quiet for a minute. "I am. I shouldn't be. But I am. It's silly I know," she said.

"It's not silly Maura. It's how you feel. I'm not exactly sure why but it's not silly," Jane answered back. She hated it when Maura tried to belittle her own feelings.

"I get like this every time I know I'm going to see them. We are together so infrequently that I find I let my fears build up and that manifests itself into the anxiety you see before you," she said releasing a heavy sigh

Jane looked at Maura with sympathy. "I understand that but what I guess I don't understand is what you seem to be afraid of about spending time with your parents in the first place," Jane said. She just didn't understand Maura's reaction to seeing her parents again. To Jane, Maura was acting as if the visit was going to be a disaster.

"I guess I'm always worried that they will be disappointed with me. Disappointed with what I've done with my life. With who I've become," she gave a quiet answer. Deep down she was always afraid that she hadn't turned out good enough for them to completely love and accept.

"Oh Maura," Jane said and sighed. She gently placed her hand under Maura's chin and turned up her face so Maura was looking directly into Jane's eyes. "In a million years you could never be a disappointment. You are simply too wonderful for that to even be an option."

The love Maura saw in Jane's eyes as she said that melted Maura's heart. "I love you," she said. It was the only thing she could think of to say in that moment.

Jane leaned into Maura capturing her lips for a long, passionate kiss. Jane stopped only when the need for oxygen became an issue. She pulled back a bit and even though she was a little breathless she spoke, "I love you too. More than I ever thought was possible. I need to say something but I don't really have much of a right to. Will you let me anyway?"

That peaked Maura's curiosity. They'd never needed permission to tell each other anything before. Not knowing what Jane was thinking she just nodded her consent.

Jane cleared her throat but kept her eyes locked in on Maura's. "I do love you. I hope you know that. And because I love you I want the very best for you. I always will want that. But that's causing some problems for me right now. Problems because I don't ever want you upset or hurt. And Maura, I'm worried. I'm worried that seeing your parents tonight will somehow hurt and upset you.

"I know I don't have a right to make a judgement about people I haven't ever met and I've tried really, really hard not to. But I'm failing here Maura. I want to judge them so badly. I want to just corner them both and go after them because for the life of me I can't understand how they can live with themselves with how they have treated you all of your life. I want to shake them both until they can tell me how they can be so foolish that they can't see what they had in front of them the whole time.

"I hate what they have done to you. I hate it. I hate that they left you to grow up on your own. I hate that they weren't there to comfort you when you were sick or scared. I hate that they weren't there to encourage you and support you through all the things you tried or wanted to try. But what I think I really hate the most is how they managed to decide that their lives were so much more important than yours that it was just acceptable and normal to let you play second fiddle to their needs.

"Somewhere along the way you've managed to conclude that their failures with you were somehow your fault. That it was you who wasn't worthy of their time or their love. Like there was something wrong with you and their behavior with you was justified and explainable. I hate that you feel that way.

"But as much as I don't understand them I also feel sorry for them. Sorry that they missed out on getting to see you grow into the person you are today. Sorry that they have not allowed themselves to have their lives truly enriched by simply interacting with you on a consistent basis. Sorry that they seem to think their days are better without hearing your voice or seeing your smile. They've missed out on experiencing such an amazing person that even though it's entirely their own fault for that I can't help but feel sorry for what they are missing out on.

"Maura, it's not my place to even say most of this. I just can't help it. I can't sit back and see the woman I love, the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with, hurt by two people who were supposed to love and care for you. I'm not asking you to not see them. I'm not asking you to not want them in your life. In fact I'm not asking you to do anything but hear me when I say this.

"I just need you to know that you deserved better from them than what you received. That the shortcomings in your relationship were on them and not you. That they have failed you not the other way around. That they are the true disappointment here not you. I need you to know that no matter what happens tonight, tomorrow or thirty years from now that I will always be here for you. I will always love you. I will always want you. And I will always, always chose you.

"Somehow, I got lucky enough to get to know you. I got the chance to experience what you have to offer in this world and I get to have your love in my life every day. I'm a better person because of you. I'm happy because of you. I will always know and appreciate how amazing you are. You have changed my life Maura and that is the greatest gift anyone has ever given me.

"I want you to be with your parents but I don't want you to spend another second thinking you have done something wrong with them. They need to learn to open their eyes and see what is right in front of them. They need to see you. They need to realize how many years they have wasted and that they should be moving Heaven and Earth to make it up to you.

"I'll behave at dinner tonight. I promise you that. Tonight is not the place for me to express my opinion but I can't go into a dinner with them without you knowing that I see how they've hurt you. I see how they've let you down. If they are too self absorbed to see you, really see you, then it will be their loss. Just please know that you will always have me in your corner. At the end of the day, when it's time to go home, your home is here with me."

Maura was at first too stunned to speak. Then she was too moved. But finally she was letting rational thought return to her. She leaned in and lightly kissed Jane but pulled back before Jane could make the kiss advance. Instead, she stood up and reached out for Jane's hand. Jane extended it without question and soon they were both standing.

A fraction of a second later Maura was leading Jane towards the stairs.

"Maura?" Jane said quietly.

"We have two hours before we need to leave for the airport. I'm not wasting a single minute more on talking," was Maura's reply as she led Jane towards the bedroom.

Who was Jane to argue with that?


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

"Mother," Maura exclaimed as she saw her mother just passing through the last of the security zones at Logan. The woman looked up and smiled what Jane determined to be a genuine smile at the sight of her daughter.

Maura advanced through the crowd to greet her mother. They exchanged a quick hug and even quicker kisses on the cheek. Maura then turned her attention to the man walking behind them. "Father," she said with a smile. Again, quick hugs and a quicker kiss was exchanged and Maura corralled the two people towards Jane for official introductions.

"Mother, Father this is Jane. Jane, these are my parents, Richard and Constance Isles."

Jane stepped forward and shook hands with both of Maura's parents. Secretly she was proud of herself for not belting either one of them at the first sight of them. She promised Maura she would behave and she would keep her end of that promise.

"Mr and Mrs Isles, it's a pleasure to meet you both. Your bags for supposed to be unloaded on carousel three," she said with a smile. She was going to be as helpful as she could for Maura's sake.

Everyone headed towards baggage claim to wait for the bags. Maura and Constance started having an immediate conversation about the flight leaving Jane and Mr. Isles to wait watching for luggage to come down a conveyor belt.

"So, Mr. Isles, Maura tells me that you are an Anthropology professor?" Jane asked trying to fill in the awkward silence. She hated making small talk with people she didn't know. Now she knew she hated making small talk with people she wanted to smack around.

"First of all, it's Richard please," he said looking at Jane with an honest smile. Jane hadn't expected that from him. "And yes, I am an Anthropology professor. My daughter tells me that you are a Homicide detective."

Jane nodded at this. "That's true. That's actually how I became friends with your daughter," she stated.

Richard turned to look at Jane. "From what my daughter tells me, you two are more than just friends."

His frankness startled her. She knew Maura had told Constance that they were together but she didn't know if that meant Richard knew. Or approved. But apparently she was about to find out that answer sooner than she thought.

"Well, while that is correct, I will always consider your daughter to be my best friend first and foremost," Jane said looking to gage his reaction to that.

Taking that answer in Richard couldn't help the smile that crossed his face. "Maura said you were unlike anyone she had ever met before. I can see what she means." He smiled again at Jane. "Before we all end up in a big group and our conversations turn polite and generic," he started looking Jane in the eyes, "Maura has sounded happier over the last few months than her mother and I have ever heard her. I believe you have a lot to do with that. Regrettably her mother and I have a poor history of being able to support Maura's emotional needs. I'm glad she has someone in her life who can start to fill the void I know perfectly well we have created within her."

Jane just stared at the man. While she still wanted to smack him, she maybe wanted to smack him a little less. As if saved by a bell, the conveyor belt alarm sounded and luggage started to drop giving Richard and Jane something else to focus their attention on.

With all their bags claimed the four headed towards the car. Maura and Constance continued to chat only this time they included both Richard and Jane. The conversation was casual and continued all the way to the car. If she had to Jane would describe it similar to Richard's description- polite and generic. Jane loaded the bags in the back declining Richard's offer to help. Maura and Constance sat in the backseat to continue talking while Richard rode upfront with Jane.

"Maura thought you both would like to go out for dinner," Jane stated as she was finally ready to head out from the airport.

"Dinner would be lovely," Constance confirmed for Jane. Jane nodded and started out towards the restaurant. Jane had made reservations for them all at Alonzo's restaurant.

"Now Jane," Richard started. "Am I to understand that you are a sports fan?" he asked.

"All things Boston," Jane replied with undeniable pride.

"Am I to further understand that you have not only gotten Maura to watch ESPN on occasion but that you have also taken her to a Red Sox game?" he was obviously teasing but still seemed fascinated with this development in his daughter's life.

"Guilty as charged," she answered. "Between you and me, I think there is an avid Sox fan buried deep with her which I'm determined to bring out." Both Richard and Jane snickered at that idea.

"I've told you Jane. I enjoy a baseball contest. I like all of the math and science involved with the sport," came Maura's answer from the backseat.

Jane couldn't help but look at Richard, "Then again," she said with a smile. Richard chuckled at the sentiment.

Jane was still not a fan of the Isles duo but she did find herself surprised that neither was immediately stand offish or cold. In truth, neither was what she had expected.

R&I

"Jane!" came the call from the chef as he approached the table the four had just been seated at. It was the table reserved for his personal guests. "Questo sta diventando un'abitudine mio amica! Welcome," he said. Jane had stood up and embraced her friend.

He looked down at Maura and smiled. "Dr. Isles, cercate bella stasera! It's a pleasure to see you again."

Maura smiled, "The pleasure is all mine Alonzo. May I introduce my parents, Richard and Constance Isles."

"Avete una bella e graziosa figlia," he exclaimed with a smile. "It is very nice to meet you both. I have a special meal prepared for you all. Please enjoy your evening. I'll send out the wine and will come check on you in a little while," he said as he retreated back into the kitchen.

Wine was brought to the table and the conversation continued amicably. Again, safe generic topics of conversation. There was a run down on Constance's work and Richard's. A briefing on Maura's transition in both Boston and as Chief ME. A few questions about Jane and life as a female detective, something Constance seemed particularly interested in. But the conversation flowed and there were no uncomfortable silences.

About halfway through dinner Constance looked at Jane. "Jane the food here is fabulous. Maura says you know the owner?"

Jane didn't want to get into the details of that so she merely answered, "I've known Alonzo and his family for several years. He really is a wonderful chef. Maura and I have come to frequent this place."

Maura smiled at Jane's attempt to be discreet about Alonzo's family. Constance didn't question Jane further on the subject and the four spent the rest of the night enjoying a comfortable, light conversation. Richard and Jane got wrapped up in discussing the Red Sox and baseball in general while Constance spent time discussing the new fall fashion lines with Maura.

All in all it was a very pleasant evening. Outside the one comment Richard had made to Jane at the baggage claim carousel none of the topics of conversation were intimate or personal. Neither Richard nor Constance seemed to ask Maura nor Jane about their relationship. That may have been the one thing that struck Jane as most odd. If this was a Rizzoli dinner, the intrusions into the personal aspect of everyone's life would have been frequent and perhaps even inappropriate. But the Isles family seemed to avoid all things personal. To Jane, it felt weird. Not mean. Not impolite. Just unfamiliar and impersonal.

Alonzo joined them for a cup of coffee. He was a very charismatic man and he even took Richard and Constance on a tour of the kitchen and his personal wine cellar. That gave Jane and Maura a few moments alone together.

"This was nice," Jane said looking at Maura.

Maura nodded. "My parents are nothing if not polite," she answered. Jane detected her disappointment with the nature of the conversation.

"Is it better than not speaking at all? Or fighting?" she asked.

"Yes. But it falls short of actual engagement," she answered sadly. "I think that's the thing about your family that I'm the most jealous of."

Jane looked at her. She was pretty sure she understood what Maura meant but wanted to ask just in case. "Which part is that?"

"The level of intimacy you all have with each other. Jane, your family is anything but polite and I mean that in a good way. You all are involved in each other's lives. Maybe a little too involved sometimes but you are all involved."

"I'm sorry you don't connect with them on that level. Have you ever?" she asked.

Maura shook her head. "No, it's always been like this. My whole life, it has always felt like we were strangers in some ways. Like we were unaccustomed acquaintances instead of family."

"Well, just remember what I said. You're my family Maura. You are home to me. You're not alone anymore," she said and took Maura's hand in hers.

"Not anymore I'm not," Maura confirmed with a loving smile. They stayed holding hands and looking into each other's eyes until Alonzo returned her parents to her.

Goodbyes were shared and the four made their way out of the restaurant and headed to Maura's.

Once to the house, Jane took her parent's luggage to the guesthouse while Maura took them on a tour of the main house. By the time Jane had finished with the luggage she found the three in Maura's living room.

"It was a pleasure to met you both but I need to be heading out now," Jane said. She needed to get over to Angela's.

"You're not staying?" Constance asked. Maura had explained that she was involved with Jane and she hoped Jane wasn't leaving on their account. Both she and Richard had no issues with who Maura chose to have in her life. It was her life after all.

"No," Jane answered. "I'm sorry but I am needed at my mother's for this evening," she answered but didn't expand on the explanation.

"I'll walk you out," Maura said excusing herself to walk Jane out. Once outside she wrapped her arms around Jane. "Thank you for tonight. I'm glad you didn't smack either one of them."

They both chuckled at that comment. "It was a pleasant evening. Maybe if I'm gone you three will have a more substantial conversation."

Maura rolled her eyes doubting that would happen. "Tell Angela I send my best and that I'll see her for dinner tomorrow night." She leaned in and kissed Jane letting the kiss linger for a moment.

Once they broke the kiss Jane leaned in, "I'm just a phone call away if you need anything."

With one last kiss Jane got into her car and headed out towards her mother's house immediately regretting that she had agreed not to stay with Maura.

R&I

Tommy had planned on working a double shift at the convenience store. He didn't mind the extra hours. He liked the money and quite honestly working was keeping him out of the apartment and away from his father who was still entrenched on his couch. He was mad at him for what he had done to his mother but the guy was still his father and Tommy couldn't find it within him to cut the guy off simply because he made a mistake. Especially not since Tommy had made more mistakes in his young life than any Rizzoli in the family. Honestly, who was he to judge any of them?

But he found being around his father during all of this was a bit too depressing for him so it had been better for him to not be around too much. He had now gone seven weeks without a drop of alcohol and he had to admit that he was rather proud of himself. It was longest stretch of sobriety he had managed in years.

He liked his job and his boss. A boss who understood that Tommy made a few mistakes in his youth and was willing to look at the hard work he managed in the present more than his poor judgement from the past. He was looking at a promotion to a key carrier within the next few weeks and it was the first time in his life he had earned an advancement by his own merits. Things were really looking up for him and he was determined to keep himself on the straight and narrow.

He had even started attending some AA meetings. Not very regular. But on occasion he was going to a site that he knew held meetings. He hadn't told anyone he was starting the meetings because he wasn't sure if he was going to continue to attend them and he was tired of constantly disappointing his family. He figured he'd decide if the meetings were something he wanted to continue for a while before mentioning this step to his family. Enough was going on with them that he didn't want to get their hopes up if he wasn't going to stick with it.

So, when his boss stopped into the store that night and told Tommy he could go home early Tommy was surprised. He told Mr. Anderson that he had no problem staying until close but the man insisted that Tommy had been working too hard lately and he appreciated it so much that he thought he would give him a few hours of his night back. He then told Tommy that starting on that Monday he was going to promote him to a key carrier.

The smile that broke out across Tommy's face lit up the store. He thanked Mr. Anderson about twenty times before finally heading out for the night. He was elated. A promotion. One he earned on his own. Finally something he didn't mess up. He couldn't wait to tell his mother, Jane and Frankie about this on Sunday. He even thought Maura would be happy for him as he was sure she would be at dinner too.

Tommy walked the three blocks from the store back to his apartment but he honestly couldn't remember the journey. His mind was racing and he was just so wrapped up in the news that he had earned his promotion he didn't really register anything around him.

He missed the sounds of music and occasional bursts of laughter lofting out into the hallway as he approached his apartment door. He didn't even really notice the lights were turned down and a few candles were flickering when he opened the front door letting himself in. It wasn't until he heard snippets of voices coming from his bedroom that he realized something was going on inside his place.

He pieced together the scene. Lit candles. Soft music. Wine on the coffee table. Various clothing items, including a bra, scattered around on the floor in the living room. He understood what it all added up to but he couldn't believe what it all added up to. For some reason he needed to see it for himself. He found himself walking towards his bedroom door and he was trying to brace himself for what he knew was on the other side of the door.

Against his better judgement, he opened his bedroom door. He wasn't wrong about what was going on. Frank was screwing some woman on his bed. His bed. His own father was continuing to cheat on his mother. In his apartment. In his bed.

He stood there for a minute but then backed away. He turned around and saw the two things he needed in that moment. A bottle of wine and Frank's car keys. In an instant he took them both and made his way out into the night.

Frank never saw or heard Tommy come home. Neither did the woman he was screwing.

R&I

Jane entered the house through the kitchen, "Ma!" she shouted her usual greeting.

"I'll be down in a minute," Angela hollered. "There's food on the stove if you are hungry."

"I'm good. I told you I was having dinner with Maura's parents tonight," she shouted back. She took a seat at the kitchen table and waited for Angela to come down. She didn't want food but she was sure she could talk Angela into tea or coffee when she came down.

A few minutes later, Angela joined Jane in the kitchen. "Hey sweetheart," she greeted. Angela couldn't begin to thank all three of her kids for the love and support they had shown her ever since the fallout with Frank. She knew it was a huge inconvenience for them to work out the rotation they had to make sure one of them was always sleeping at the house.

She had never asked them to do it but she was more grateful to them for it than she would ever be able to express. She hadn't spent a night alone in over thirty five years. So the thought of being in their big house all by herself was horrifying to her. Her blessed children, however, had managed to keep that from being an issue as of yet. She knew it wouldn't last forever but she was going to enjoy it while they were all willing to do it.

"How was dinner?" Angela asked.

"The food was good," Jane said. "The conversation was polite."

"That doesn't sound very good," Angela pointed out as she started the water to make tea.

"It wasn't bad," Jane admitted. "It was just different. They didn't have three heads or anything. I couldn't help but get the feeling that Maura and her parents are practically strangers. I mean, it was polite conversation but it was almost what I would expect at some sort of business dinner or charity function instead of a family dinner. Especially since Maura hasn't seen either of them in almost a year." She didn't hide her sad tone.

"She had a pretty lonely life, didn't she?" Angela asked.

Jane nodded. "It just kills me to think about how she had to grow up," Jane said looking up at her mother. "She's been alone for too long."

Angela reached over and put her hand on top of Jane's. "Honey, she isn't alone anymore. She has you."

That put a smile on Jane's face. But it didn't last. She suddenly felt guilty for thinking about how happy she was when her mother's marriage was falling apart.

"What?" Angela asked noticing the change in Jane's demeanor.

"I'm sorry Ma. I shouldn't be talking about Maura with you when you're going through everything with Pop."

"Nonsense!" Angela said with conviction. "Your father and I are not of your concern when it comes to our marriage. That's mine to work through. You are entitled to your happiness Jane. In fact, it does me good to see that you are letting yourself be happy. I've seen the way you look at her. And I see how she looks at you. A love like that...well it's special. Don't hide that from me."

Jane smiled at her mother. It was nice that she could speak to Angela about her relationship and feelings about Maura. She loved her mother very much but her acceptance of Jane and her happiness made Jane love her even more. "Thanks Ma," she replied.

"Jane, no family is perfect. Maura's relationship with her parents is something that she will have to decide how or what form it will exist. There isn't anything you can do about her past. But you certainly can impact her present and I would hazard a guess her future as well. Be there for her. Do that and the rest will take care of itself."

"I'm trying Ma," Jane replied and watched her mother prepare two cups of tea.

The knock on the door took them both by surprise. Neither was expecting anyone. Frankie or Tommy would just let themselves in. "I got it," Jane said getting up and heading into the house to get the front door.

When she opened it she immediately knew something was wrong.

"Jane," Korsak started gently.

Jane was immediately shaking her head. "Damn it Korsak, this can't be about Frankie!" She knew that look. That's the look a cop gets when he had to do a notification for a family. The fact that it was Vince standing in her mother's doorway the only thing Jane could think of was that Frankie was injured while on duty.

"Jane," he started again quietly. "It's not Frankie." He paused letting her mind play catch up with her ears.

"Frankie's ok?" she asked again.

Korsak nodded. "He's fine. I just talked to him about five minutes ago."

Jane started to relax until she realized that Korsak hadn't told her what he needed to tell her. And then it hit her.

"Jane? Who's at the door?" called Angela as she walked into the living room. "Oh Detective, we weren't expecting you," she answered cheerfully. But then she saw the look on his face and the look on Jane's.

"Vince?" Jane asked staring at him.

"Jane I'm so sorry." He looked over to Angela as well. "There's been an accident."

"Vince?" Jane repeated knowing he was just trying to give them both time to hear what he was saying. She had been through this routine plenty of times before.

"Jane. Angela. I'm sorry. Tommy. He's been in an accident." His voice trailed off.

"Not my Tommy!" Angela let out. "Jane, get the car. We need to get to the hospital!" She started to scramble around the room trying to find a coat or shoes or something.

Jane looked at Korsak and they exchanged a look she fully understood. She turned and walked over to her mother and pulled her down to the couch. "Ma," she started. Tears were already starting to stream down Angela's face. "Ma," she said again.

She knew. She just didn't want to believe it. But she knew without needing to be told. "No. Not Tommy."

Jane just wrapped Angela in her arms and let the grieving mother cry. "Not my Tommy," was Angela's repeated chant.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen

Jane sat on the couch quietly staring at a TV screen that wasn't even turned on. Vince sat in chair across from her doing his best to be in the room for Jane without drawing any attention to the fact that he was in the room. Neither had said a word in over twenty minutes. Jane's attention stirred when she heard the sounds of feet descending the stairs. She immediately stood up and Vince mimicked his partner's behavior.

"Doc?" Jane asked as the older gentleman came down the last of the stairs.

He walked up to Jane and put his hand on her elbow trying to reassure her. "I've given her a very strong sedative. She will sleep through the night." Jane nodded to that comment. Angela had broken down into such hysterics that Jane felt she had no choice but to call in their family doctor. "When she wakes up tomorrow, if she's still too upset, you just give me a call and I can be here in ten minutes."

Jane hoped she wouldn't need to make that call a second time. "Thank you," she answered numbly. "Is there anything I should be watching for tonight?" She wasn't sure what being sedated that heavily entailed and was suddenly concerned about breathing and other issues.

"No, I promise she'll just sleep for tonight. I think someone needs to stay here tonight but that's more to be around when she does wake up tomorrow," he said gently.

"I'm staying," Jane answered. "You don't have to worry about that."

The doctor nodded. "Jane," he said, "I'm sorry for your loss."

Jane barely nodded acknowledgement of that statement. The three stood in the living room and let an eerie silence fill the space.

The next sound anyone heard was the backdoor opening and closing. Within seconds Maura was making her way from the kitchen into the living room and heading straight to Jane. They were in each other's arms in seconds. Maura didn't say a word but just held onto Jane as tight as she could. She was trying to stop the violent trembling she felt from Jane.

Korsak knew they needed a moment together so he escorted the doctor out and decided to walk him to his car to allow Jane time with Maura without him.

The two stood encapsulated in an embrace for what felt like forever. Neither saying a word. Outside of Jane's body tremors there was no other sign of sorrow. Her tears had yet to fall that night and Jane was determined to keep it that way for the time being. She wanted to be strong for her mother. But she couldn't seem to keep her body from shaking in Maura's arms.

Finally after a few minutes Maura spoke. "What do you need?" she asked wanting to do for Jane anything she could in that moment.

"Ummm...I..." she pulled slightly from her embrace but refused to release Maura. "Maura...I need..." she paused. "I need you to...I need it to be you. I don't...no one else...please don't let anyone else..." She was having a hard time finishing her thoughts.

But Maura understood them. "I've already called and informed them that I will be handling the," and she paused almost afraid to say to word outloud. She hated given finality to the situation for Jane. But she finished her thought, "autopsy myself. As soon as I know you and your family are settled I'm heading to the station." She knew Jane wouldn't want anyone but her handling Tommy's autopsy.

Normally Maura would recuse herself. Ask a colleague to handle it considering it was the brother of the woman she loved. But this was Jane. This was Jane's family and Maura knew her well enough to know she would want Maura to be the one. So she called and instructed the morgue to hold off until she could get there.

"Thank you," Jane got out still refusing to let go of her hold on Maura.

Maura let Jane cling to her. She would let that happen for as long as Jane needed. After a few more minutes Jane lessened her hold on Maura again and Maura took the opportunity to maneuver herself and Jane over to the couch. She sat down pulling Jane down with her still not releasing her from the hold connecting the two.

"Angela?" Maura asked.

"The doctor just left. He's sedated her for the night. Maura," she spoke in a tight, strained voice. "I couldn't get her to stop crying. She just wouldn't respond to me. I didn't know what else to do so I called our doctor."

Maura nodded her understanding. She would have recommended the same if she had been here. "Sometimes the body and the mind need help handling overt stress. She'll sleep through the night. Honestly Jane, it will be the best thing for her," Maura tried to reassure Jane's decision.

Maura wanted to ask about Frank but with everything that had been going on before all of this started she found she couldn't bring him up.

Jane, as if reading Maura's thoughts, spoke. "Frankie went to tell Pop." She let that linger in the air and was grateful when Maura didn't ask or comment about that further. She wasn't in a place where dealing with her father was a good idea. Maybe tomorrow. But not tonight.

Korsak reentered the house having delayed his return inside for as long as he was comfortable. He also entered with an unexpected visitor. Frost.

Jane looked up at seeing Frost enter the house. The simple fact that he had found out where she was and come over spoke volumes about the character of her future partner. She was beyond touched but for the time being she did nothing but nod a small acknowledgement to him. He knew what that meant. It was all he needed from her. He stayed over by Korsak not saying a word. He just wanted to be there for his partner. Even if he was still only designated an unofficial partner for Jane.

"We both want to go to the accident site," Jane said after a few minutes. The whole room understood that 'we' meant both her and Frankie.

Korsak spoke for the first time in almost an hour. "Jane, Cavanaugh has given specific directions not to allow you or Frankie within 100 yards of the accident site."

She knew. She would have done the same thing. Some things in life people just shouldn't see. There really was no reason to see the one car accident scene. It wasn't going to bring her brother back.

"Maura?" Jane said.

"Yes?" she replied in a quiet tone. She still had wrapped up in her arms as they sat on the couch.

"Can you go take care of Tommy?" she asked quietly.

"Are you sure you're ready for me to leave?" she asked. She didn't want to leave Jane unless Jane was certain.

"I don't want him just down there. Waiting. Please. Go take care of him," she said.

Maura understood and nodded. She placed a gentle kiss onto Jane's forehead, let Jane's hold on her linger for a few seconds more and then stood up. "I'll come back here after I've seen to everything," she confirmed.

Jane stood up too and shook her head. "No, Maura your parents are in town. You can go home afterwards. You should be at the house for them."

Maura looked at Jane. This wasn't going to be a debate. "I'm going to come back here once I've taken care of everything. My parents are perfectly capable of taking care of themselves. My place is here with you." It was a resolved tone Jane had yet to hear from Maura. She didn't push. Instead she walked Maura to the door kissing her lightly before letting her leave.

R&I

Frankie fished around in his pocket for his keys. Normally this wasn't a difficult task but he found that his hands were still trembling so grasping the keyring in his pocket was a small challenge. Once he got a hold of his keys it took him longer than it should to find the one that would unlock the front door to his brother's apartment. If he was thinking clearly he would have just tried knocking. But as it was he wasn't. So he didn't. He, instead, let himself into the apartment with the key once he was finally able to secure it in his hands.

Entering the apartment he had to struggle to maintain his composure. He was hit with a rush of emotions and memories of the last time he had been in his brother's apartment. They had battled it out in Madden football three weeks ago. It turned into an all night video game marathon with both brothers seemingly winning and losing in equal turns. It had been a good night.

Clearing his throat he called out. "Pop?" he wasn't even sure if his father was there. They hadn't spoken since his mother kicked him out of the house.

"Frankie?" he heard a voice call out from what he guessed was the bathroom.

"Yeah Pop," he acknowledged.

Frank was suddenly excited and relieved to hear his son's voice. Frankie hadn't wanted to speak with him since everything had come out about his affair. He was now suddenly hopeful that Frankie wanted to talk. Or that he was at least willing to listen to him. "I'll be right out," Frank hollered.

When he didn't hear anything in return he thought it best to at least try to get a conversation going. If he started talking then maybe it would compel Frankie to stay and have a long heart to heart.

"Hey, do you know where your brother is? I can't find my car keys and I think he took my car. I mean, I know his license is suspended and he shouldn't be driving and all. I don't really mind if he borrows the car but I would have prefered if he had at least asked me first. Please don't tell Jane that he took the car. Come to think of it, considering you are a cop too, I probably shouldn't even say any of this to you. Forget I mentioned it," he was saying as he walked into the living room. He had hoped that maybe Frankie would laugh a little about Tommy's borrowing the car.

But he didn't hear Frankie laugh. In fact he didn't hear Frankie say a word. He got fully into the living room and looked at Frankie. He couldn't describe the look on Frankie's face. Pain. Sorrow. Maybe even anger. The first thing he thought of was that Frankie was about to confront him about the affair.

He knew he had hurt his family with his affair. Affairs if he was going to be honest with himself. He wasn't even surprised that Frankie seemed to take it the hardest of the three kids. So he should have expected that the biggest emotional confrontation about it all was to come from Frankie. Frank resigned himself to the impending fight. He deserved it after all.

"Frankie look, I'm sorry about what's going on with your mother," was all Frank managed to get out before Frankie cut him off.

"Pop," he said. His voice was tight. Dead. It took Frank by surprise. "Pop, there's been an accident," he said.

"Your mother?" Frank asked almost as a reflex.

"No not Ma," he said. "It's Tommy."

The very tone coming from Frankie told Frank everything he needed to know. "What happened?" he asked.

Frankie cleared his throat again before speaking. "Umm, it looks like he lost control of his car, your car, and crashed into a barricade on a median." Frankie paused for a minute. "They need tests to confirm but they are pretty sure...pretty sure he was drunk."

The two men stood across the living room from each other. No more than five feet separated them but Frankie felt utterly alone in that moment.

"Was anyone...else?" Frank started to ask.

Frankie shook his head. "Single MVA," he said.

Suddenly the totality of what Frankie was saying to Frank hit him. His son. His youngest child. He looked at his other son who was standing in the middle of the room looking as if it was taking everything he had to remain standing upright. "Are you...are they sure?" he asked. Maybe there was a mistake. Maybe it wasn't Tommy.

Frankie nodded. "They are sure. Detective Korsak made a positive ID," he answered.

They both looked at each other for a moment before Frank spoke again. "What was he doing driving?"

Frankie shook his head. "I don't know Pop. I thought he was working."

Neither mentioned the drinking. Neither in a position in that moment to acknowledge that Tommy fell off the wagon. That would come later.

Finally Frank cracked. Tears started to fall down his cheeks. Seeing his father standing in front of him crying was all it took for Frankie to breakdown too. They closed the five feet that was separating them in a manner of seconds. Father and son soon seeking solace in the embrace.

R&I

Maura prided herself on her ability to stay clinically detached while performing autopsies. In the years she had been a medical examiner she had seen all manner of trauma and tragedy. Victims of all ages. It would be easy for anyone to allow the emotions surrounding the circumstances to affect them when handling the things Maura had to handle.

But emotions cloud judgement. Emotions sway perspective. And all of that can force a person to overlook the science. It can cause mistakes. So over the years Maura had trained herself to not let the emotions get in the way. It wasn't that she didn't feel. It was that she wouldn't let what she felt impede what she had to do.

Standing over the body of Tommy Rizzoli Maura was struggling to maintain her clinical detachment. There were just times her job was anything but easy.

This was something the doctor had never encountered in her career before. Not the autopsy or the condition of the young man in front of her. She had seen numerous MVA fatalities. What was different for this one was the personal involvement she had with the man. And his family.

Looking down at the sight in front of her Maura suddenly understood just how much her life had changed because of Jane Rizzoli. She now had a friend. A best friend. A lover. Someone in her life to care for. Who cared for her. But opening herself to that love also meant opening herself to sorrow. Standing in her lab that night it became clear to her that she couldn't have one without the other.

Letting someone in. Letting Jane love her and being able to love her back was an incredible gift. She understood the hardship that Jane and her family were facing with this tragedy. She wished in that moment she could protect Jane from it but she understood that she could not. Grief and loss are the dark side of love. One doesn't exist without the other.

Maura hadn't experienced true love in her life before Jane. But in the three months she had come to know the detective her life was forever altered. She found the one who accepted her and included her in her life. She found the one she was meant to be with. The one who befriended her. The one who cared for her. The one who loved her. The one she loved with equal passion.

But, tonight, because of that love Maura now faced a sorrow and emotional conflict she had never had to deal with before. Taking a deep breath Maura knew she needed to find that clinical detachment. She had a job to perform. She needed to handle this for Jane. For the Rizzolis. For Tommy.

She cleared her throat and started. "Autopsy notes for Thomas Michael Rizzoli. Procedure conducted by Dr. Maura Isles, Chief Medical Examiner for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts."

R&I

The days seemed to pass quickly and drag on at the same time for Jane. There were times where she felt like the day would never end but there were times where she felt like time was passing too quickly and things were happening too fast. The odd coexistence of the two kept Jane on edge for most of the week.

Things were easier on her when she had things to do. Tasks to complete. Places to go. People to see. Arrangements to make. It kept her busy. It kept her moving. At times she felt like it kept her sane.

But the busy times couldn't last forever. Eventually all the plans were made. All the tasks completed. All the people had been contacted. Eventually Jane ran out of things to do. It was during those moments she thanked whatever deity in the skies above that she had Maura in her life.

Maura had been wonderful. She handled Tommy's autopsy with respect and care. Jane knew she would do nothing less. But what Jane had only recently discovered was the extra care Maura had arranged for him. Maura had arranged for a tech to stay with Tommy until he was released to the funeral director. She later even apologized for not staying with him herself but she had wanted to return to Jane's side as quickly as she could. She just hadn't wanted to leave Tommy alone and unattended while he was in her care.

The thought touched Jane deeply. But that wasn't the only thing Maura had done for her or her family. When the morning came and Angela woke up she had another 'episode'. She demanded that Jane take her to the morgue so she could see Tommy. No one felt that was a wise idea and it was Maura who stepped in and spoke with Angela to calm her down.

Jane had never seen such a sight before. Maybe because it involved her mother. Or Maura. But most of her believed it was because she watched two woman she loved bonding in a way she knew no other situation would allow.

Maura. For someone who continually claimed not to be good around people she was exactly what was needed in that moment. For someone who consistently doubted her instincts during interactions she comforted a grieving mother was grace and compassion. For someone who seemed to be out of touch with her impact on others, she offered solace and closure for not only Angela but the rest of the family as well. Sparing everyone the heartbreak of seeing Tommy before he was ready to be seen.

She comforted them all with her words. Her answers. Her observations. And the thing Jane would never, ever be able to thank her for no matter how hard or long she tried was Maura's ability to acknowledge that Tommy was intoxicated at the time of the accident but doing so in such a manner as to not dwell, reproach or place blame on what happened. Somehow, Maura had managed to allow Angela and Frank to have and view their son for who he was and not define him by what he had done. She was still not sure how Maura managed that but she had.

As the days leading up to the funeral all seemed to merge together, it became obvious to all that Jane and Maura were involved with each other. Watching closely enough gave anyone who dared a sense that the two absolutely adored each other. The love the two had for each other was unmistakable. Those who saw it appreciated what they were seeing and all seemed happy for the two. And everyone was glad Jane had Maura for support as they all tried to deal with the sudden loss.

Jane spent more and more time at Maura's place. The week started with Jane staying with Angela but on nights where Frankie was staying at the house Jane would slip away and always end up at Maura's. Seeking silent comfort and always finding what she sought. After a few days Jane had acquired a key. After a few more she had graduated to dresser drawer and closet space.

The transition wasn't discussed. There was no conscious conversation about cohabitation. It just seemed to happen. It felt right and natural and there appeared to be a silent agreement between the two that it was no longer acceptable for one to sleep away from the other. They belonged together and neither seemed willing to abandon the comfort of waking up wrapped in the warmth of the other.

If the tragedy of the loss of Tommy had showed them anything it seemed to illustrated that life was too uncertain to waste precious time that may not be as infinite as they all once thought.

R&I

Emotional upheaval added into an already shaky existence has the possibility of two outcomes. It can make an unstable situation better. Or it can make the situation worse. It was too soon to tell for Frank and Angela but the stalemate between the two seemed to have temporarily halted. As angry as Angela was about Frank's affairs, it was their son. A son they nurtured and cared for together for Tommy's entire twenty seven years.

She included Frank in everything. There was just no way not to. Arrangements. Discussions. Visitations. Everything. There seemed to be a polite cease fire between the two and Jane was sure there were even a few shared moments of grief and sorrow. She was certain because they had happened for her too.

Try as she did that first night to avoid her father by morning she was open to seeing him. A part of her desperately needed to see him. She was too tired to fight it. She couldn't get herself to go to Tommy's apartment but she had Frank over to her place. The minute she opened the door they were embracing. Crying. Supporting. She had needed him and he was there. It was enough in that moment.

They all knew. At some point Frank and Angela would need to work at whatever was going to happen in their marriage. But none of that seemed to matter much For the time being. The time would come. The issues would face reckoning but for the moment, the Rizzolis were a family facing a tragedy together. The rest would take care of itself at some point down the road.

For each knew one certainty. No matter the grief. No matter the loss. Life, in all its splendor and heartache, would go on whether they liked that particular fact or not.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Jackson Allister walked into the lab with several reports in his hand. For the last three days when he went looking for Dr. Isles he had not been able to find her. He had not yet been able to get her alone like he had been instructed to and he was starting to get worried. He was well aware of the time crunch that he was facing to be able to carry out the last of the details Charles had asked him to do. And the most important one was the one still incomplete.

He had been sure he would get time with Dr. Isles much sooner than this. Of all the things Charles had asked of him he had been confident that this one was going to be the easiest. She had agreed that if the timing was right he could observe an autopsy from the beginning. That was supposed to be his opening. That was when all of his plans were supposed to be executed. But that day, that autopsy, had not yet come.

He was getting worried.

He looked around the morgue and did not see Dr. Isles. He took his reports and walked towards Dr. Isles' office but all he found was the lights off and the door locked. He hadn't even seen the doctor in almost a week. Time was running out.

He headed back to the lab and stopped when he saw Susie Chang. He hated to call any attention to himself but at this point he didn't think he had an option. "Excuse me," he said walking up to Susie. "Have you seen Dr. Isles? I have several reports for her." He tried to sound as casual as he could when he asked.

Susie paused and looked up. She recognized the guy in front of her as one of the new interns but she didn't know his name. "Dr. Isles isn't here at the moment," she answered not really needing to explain anything further to an intern.

Jackson tried to hide his frustration and irritation. Again, he didn't want anyone suspicious as to why he was looking for the doctor. "These reports were a rush request and I wanted to make sure she received them. Will she be returning later today?"

Susie looked again at the intern. Now she was a little annoyed that he was still asking her questions. "Dr. Isles has taken the week off. You can leave the reports with me and I will make sure they get to the assigned detectives," she finished dismissing him.

Jackson froze.

_She took the week off?_

He turned and walked away without giving the reports to Susie. He was too stunned to even realize they were still in his hand. He had just been told the absolute worst thing he could have been told. And he had no idea what he was going to do.

Susie watched him walk away with the reports still in his hand. "Interns," she muttered shaking her head as she returned to what she had been doing before the kid had interrupted her.

R&I

Both Jane and Frankie spoke at Tommy's funeral. Both sharing personal stories about the youngest Rizzoli. Each story brought about both laughter and tears. A celebration of a life tragically too short in its existence. Angela was still too emotional to speak in front of a crowd of people and Frank declined as well.

Frank was by Angela's side as often as she allowed. They were together during the visitation. Neither wanting to draw attention to the issues between them. It was easier on them both greeting and speaking with all of the family members, friends and visitors. He stayed by her side during the funeral proceedings and rode with her in the limousine to the cemetery.

He even came over to the house after the funeral. A small collection of close relatives and friends all managed to end up at the Rizzoli house after the services were completed. Frank and Angela worked the rooms of people together accepting people's condolences and support.

Both Jane and Frankie were quietly glad that Frank was around for Angela. He wasn't back in the house. They weren't even sure he was back in her life outside of the handling everything for Tommy's funeral. But she seemed to find some comfort in his presence and that, for the moment, was what mattered to them both. All three seemed willing to table any ill feelings about the personal issues between Frank and Angela.

They were both still angry with him for what he had done to her but in the end they both knew it wasn't their place to decide anything about their parent's marriage. Both Frankie and Jane were at least back on speaking terms with Frank and each, at different times, had spent significant time with Frank remembering Tommy and sharing stories.

It was at the house after the funeral where Frank ended up being cornered by Tommy's boss for a conversation.

"Frank," Ted Anderson said as he approached Frank in the Rizzoli living room. "I'm so sorry for your loss." Ted extended his hand to Frank.

Frank nodded. He had heard that too many times over the last week. He understood that there was never a 'right thing' for people to say during times like these but he was starting to really hate that particular expression.

He shook Ted's hand. "Thank you." Frank was quiet for a minute and then spoke. "Tommy really liked working for you Ted. He told me that you were the first man in over a year that didn't hold his previous issues against him. He was very grateful you took a chance on him when you gave him a job."

Ted nodded, "He was a good kid. I just always thought he needed something to keep him focused. But, I have to admit, I can't help but think all of this is my fault." He dropped his eyes and looked away from Frank as he said it.

"Your fault?" Frank asked confused.

"Yeah, I mean if I hadn't relieved him from his shift early that night then maybe he wouldn't have..." but Ted couldn't finish that sentence. He had been feeling guilty all week. He didn't understand why Tommy was drinking. He had been so proud of being sober for almost two months. But Ted believed that had he not made Tommy go home then maybe he wouldn't have started drinking and driving. Ted thought maybe Tommy was drinking to celebrate his promotion.

"You let him go home early that night?" Frank asked. It was the first anyone was hearing about that. To date, no one was able to figure out why Tommy was driving Frank's car, where he was going and no one understood why he had started drinking again.

"Yeah, he'd been working so many double shifts I decided to give him some time off. I'd finished my family obligation early so I told my wife I was going to close the store to give Tommy a break. Now I guess I shouldn't have done that."

"Ted, none of this was your fault. You didn't make Tommy," he paused, "drink. Don't blame yourself. Can I ask you something?"

"Sure, anything," Ted answered.

"How did he seem when he left?" Frank wondered if anything specific was bothering him.

"He was as happy as I have ever seen him. I'd just told him he was officially getting promoted on Monday and he was so happy," he recalled.

Frank pondered that. He knew Tommy was in line for a promotion. So he had been told about it that night. Maybe that's why Tommy took his car. To go out and celebrate. But why hadn't he told him and they could have celebrated, without alcohol, together. Something wasn't adding up still.

"Ted," he asked. "What time did you send Tommy home?"

Ted thought for a minute. "It was around 6 when he finally headed out. I thought he was going home."

Frank let the information sink in. Up until that moment he was certain that Tommy had come home when he was out. He hadn't even noticed the car keys or the car missing until around 9 pm. He had left the apartment only once that night and that was just to walk Karen home.

And then it hit him. Hard.

_Oh my God!_

"What time?" Frank asked again now suddenly fighting a nauseating feeling in his stomach.

"Around 6," Ted said again. He looked at Frank and was suddenly worried. The man in front of him had grown significantly pale. "Frank? Are you ok?"

Frank tried to nod his head to not draw attention to himself but he found it hard to get his head to do anything. He slowly sat down in a chair that he had been standing by. 6 pm. If Tommy can home that early then he had to have walked in on what Frank had been doing. In that moment Frank understood why Tommy took his car. It was the reason he took his first drink in seven weeks too.

Ted, worried about Frank, stepped away to find Jane or Frankie. As he walked away from Frank he swore he heard the man mumble something but he couldn't make out what he said.

Frank had mumbled. "It's all my fault," was what he said barely louder than a whisper.

Ted, finding Frankie first approached him. "Excuse me, Frankie?"

"Hi Mr. Anderson," Frankie greet the man.

"Frankie, you may want to check on your dad. I was just talking to him and he didn't look like he was doing too good," Ted said not hiding the concern he had for Frank.

Frankie nodded, "Alright. Thanks. Where is he?"

"I just left him in the living room. He was sitting in a chair," Ted answered.

Frankie turned and headed to the living room to find his father now worried about the man. He had been holding it together pretty well over the last few days but maybe he was breaking down again. Frankie entered the living room and looked around but he didn't see his father anywhere.

"Pop?" he called out but didn't get an answer.

He walked around the first level of the house and checked each room. Frank was nowhere to be found. He headed upstairs to see if Frank was just trying to get away from everyone but he couldn't find him there either. Heading back downstairs he went into the kitchen where he knew Jane and Maura were talking with Korsak and Frost.

"Hey Janie? Have you seen Pop in the last few minutes?" he asked now utterly confused.

"No," Jane answered. She hadn't seen him in about thirty minutes. "Why?"

"Someone said he wasn't doing too good but now I can't find him," he said looking out the kitchen window into the backyard.

"Maybe he stepped out for a minute. He might have just needed some air. These walls can feel like they are closing in you if too many people try to come at you all at once," she offered.

Frankie nodded, "Maybe. But you would think he would have said something if he was leaving. At least to Ma."

"Don't worry," she said. "I'm sure he'll be back."

Frankie nodded again and headed back into the dining room to check on his mother.

R&I

Jackson paced back and forth in his apartment. He was scared. He had failed Charles. No matter how he tried to look at the situation he could not find a way in which he could carry out his plan and Charles' desires. He was looking at total failure and he now needed to let him know. However, he wasn't sure how he was going to get the warning to the man in prison.

He didn't want to write to him as he knew his written correspondence would be screened by the jail and he couldn't risk that. He thought about trying to get a note to Charles' lawyer. Their correspondence was privileged so it was safe from the screeners but he had been giving specific instructions not to interact with the lawyer in any way.

The lawyer was never supposed to know that someone with Jackson's connections and social standing had any contact with his client. It had been one of the few things Charles had insisted. The last thing Jackson wanted to do was blatantly disobey Charles. Things were already falling apart. He couldn't risk further wrath from Charles by breaking his communication rule. So the lawyer was out.

That left an in person visit. But this option offered up problems too. There were risks to an in person visit. He'd already seen Charles in jail once. A second visit might seem suspicious. No one during the first visit recognized him. While he had used a false name and ID he was worried about risking having someone figure out who he really was. He had a very active profile in the community and someone was bound to recognize him at some point.

Besides recognition concerns, Jackson was afraid to face Hoyt. He was terrified to admit to Charles that he had failed to execute the most crucial part of the plan. He was deeply loyal to Charles but he also feared the man. Jackson understood exactly what Charles was capable so he knew his fears were not irrational. Charles would not take the news of his failure well. Jackson knew his very life was on the line.

None of the options available to him were pleasing. But he had to do something. He couldn't let Charles think he had managed to handle his assigned task. So as he paced he continued to run through the options available to him again. Risk screeners reading a delivered note. Risk having the lawyer realize there was a connection between he and Charles. Or risk recognition at the jail during an in-person visit. All three options were poor but Jackson knew he needed to decide.

He dismissed mailing a letter almost immediately. That left the lawyer or a personal visit. With trepidation he chose the in person visit. The more he thought about it the more he hoped that maybe Charles had a solution he just couldn't see. If that was the case then Charles wouldn't want to use the lawyer as an intermediary. Instead, he felt reasonably certain that it would be better to hear direction from Charles himself.

He was marginally worried about how he was going to try to explain everything to the man. They didn't have a language worked out for this kind of situation. His only visit to Charles had gone well because he was aware of the questions and code he was supposed to answer in. He had received the package from Charles with his specific instructions but there was nothing in that package for how to handle a situation like this. But, he was smart and Charles was a genius so he would have to just pray that they would be able to work through a coded language on the fly that would get him message across.

Having reached his decision, he felt a little better. It bothered him still that he was going to have to admit that he failed. But there wasn't anything he could do about that. He knew he needed to man up and tell Charles where they stood. Maybe, just maybe, Charles would know a way around his failure or a second alternative.

Jail visiting hours weren't being held again for another two days. He had two days to fret about this confrontation. But, again, there wasn't anything that he could do to change it. Dr. Isles had requested the entire week off. It wasn't even like he still had a chance with the doctor during those two days. He had lost his access to her and he would have to explain that to Charles and hope for the best.

R&I

"Angela please sit down. Jane and I will handle all of this," Maura said trying to get Angela to stop trying to clean up after everyone had gone home.

"I can't just sit around and do nothing Maura. I can't," she answered in almost an apologetic tone. "I know you and Jane can handle all of this but I really need something to do right now."

"Alright," Jane said leaning her head into the dining room area. "Why don't we tackle the dishes together. I wash. Maura dries. And Ma, you can put away."

"Why am I drying?" Maura asked.

"Well, you don't really know where anything goes so that removes the put away option. And I just figured it was best for you not to mess up your nails with the washing part. So, that leaves drying," Jane answered as she threw a kitchen towel towards Maura summoning her to work.

It was a simple answer but it put smiles on all three of the women's faces. Both Angela and Maura caught Jane's thoughtful gesture about Maura's manicured fingernails. Protecting Maura seemed to be an instinct with Jane. Even something as simple as dish duty assignments brought out her protective side.

Angela had been so happy when Jane had told her that she was officially dating Maura. Happy that Jane felt comfortable enough to tell her. And even happier that it was true. She had seen the impact Maura was having on Jane's happiness and so glad to find out that they were exploring their feelings for each other.

There was something in the way that the two looked at each other. But what struck Angela most wasn't the looks they exchanged between themselves. Although those were filled with love. It was the look each had when the other wasn't looking. Angela hadn't ever seen anything like it. Stolen glances. Looks from across a room. Almost like just the sight of the other was all that was needed in any given moment.

The change in Jane was how Angela was first clued into the possibility that Jane had feelings for Maura. When Jane first heard there was going to be a new ME and it was going to be a female she had been excited simply to just not be the only female at the station. But after Jane met Maura for the first time Angela began to wonder if there was something more. The first time Angela had asked Jane about the new ME Jane's whole face lit up and she smiled a smile Angela hadn't seen before.

Then, the speed to which the two became friends was also something Angela hadn't seen before. Jane had friends. And was friendly with a lot of people. But it usually took Jane a long time to get to know a new person to really let that person in. Angela always chalked it up to some sort of cop instinct because Frankie was the same way with new people. But Maura pushed right through all of that. They were regular coffee buddies in a matter of days and lunch dates within a week. It appeared to be a relationship that was just meant to be.

Jane had told her they were now basically living together. She was very happy for them. She knew Tommy's death had pushed both of them to take that step and she didn't blame them. Life was too short to waste time. Neither Jane nor Maura seemed to want to be without the other one. Who could blame them?

Watching the two interact made Angela reflect on her marriage with Frank. She had no idea what she was going to do. She had no idea about what she wanted. And she knew until she figured at least that part out she wasn't going to figure any of it out.

A part of her was too hurt by his betrayal to even really dwell on it. She knew she would at some point. There would be a moment when all she felt about what he had done would hit her but it hadn't happened yet. And with Tommy, she knew there was only so much grief a person could process and handle at any given moment and she was already at her limit. So the marriage question was just going to have to wait its turn.

She had felt better when Frank was by her side that week. She was glad he was involved in everything that had gone on. She honestly didn't know if she would have gotten through the funeral service without Frank's support. But that was a need isolated to a specific, tragic and heartbreaking circumstance. Angela was not foolish enough to believe that all of their problems were now magically fixed. If anything, the issues seemed to be muddled and confused.

She was surprised when Frank had left today without saying goodbye. She wondered if the week had finally caught up to him. He had been strong for everyone throughout the week. She just figured that he needed time alone to mourn the loss of his youngest child. She felt that too. As much as she appreciated Frankie and Jane both spending their time with her she needed some space. She had already sent Frankie home. She would be sending Jane and Maura away soon too. Some of her grief was private. Frank must have needed the same thing.

She would call him in the morning. Maybe they could meet somewhere for coffee and try to have a civil conversation. She would be the first admit that she hadn't talked with him since this whole mess started. She had yelled at him and then dismissed him. That was not a conversation. They at least owed it to each other to try to have a conversation. It may not resolve anything but it would worth a shot. After all, Jane and Maura weren't the only ones reminded at how precious time really was.

Angela was pulled out of her thoughts when Maura handled her a silver platter to be put away. She took it and found its home. When she turned around she let herself watch Jane and Maura interacting with each other. Their relationship was a source of light in her otherwise dark days. Watching Jane open herself up to love and seeing that love reflected back from Maura gave hope to Angela.

She would call Frank in the morning. Maybe lunch was a better idea than coffee.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen

Jackson wanted to anywhere but where he was in that moment. He parked his car in the visitor's lot for the jail and tried to calm his nerves. He found that his hand was shaking as he turned off the ignition of the car. He needed to get his emotions, his fear, under control. He knew Charles hated to see any signs of weakness. His shaking hands would only make matters worse.

He exhaled an extended breath and opened his car door. He had to do this. There was no other choice. No other way. He could do this. He could get in, have his conversation with Charles and get out. Out without being recognized. Out with maybe even a solution or new directions. Maybe there was a way to still pull everything together that his limited mind just couldn't see. Charles was a genius after all.

And he reminded himself that Charles couldn't hurt him. Today. Not when he was still behind bars. But Jackson understood that Charles wasn't planning on staying behind those bars for much longer. He knew the man was planning an escape. He had assisted in several pieces of that plan. So it was inevitable that he would be free soon.

That was when Jackson would fear for his safety. He was about to inform Charles he had failed to complete a vital part of a plan and he was very much aware that it could cost him his life. He had witnessed Charles kill for lesser reasons than failure and not think twice about it.

His only hope would be that Charles would somehow understand that the failure was not his fault. How was he supposed to have foreseen that Dr. Isles would take time off? How on Earth was he supposed to anticipate that she would be dealing with a death in her girlfriend's family? From his perspective, Jackson just could not think of anything he could have done differently to avoid where he presently found himself.

The minute he had received Charles' package and read his requests he had started to see to them all. He didn't delay. He had moved as quickly as he could. He had used his family influence and name to secure an internship within the medical examiner's office. That had taken some doing but he had managed to get himself placed there.

He had arranged for a secure location for Charles for after his escape from prison. He had done exactly what he had been asked in that matter. The location. The equipment. All of it had been arranged. Jackson had seen to everything he had been asked with the exception of his interaction with Dr. Isles. And no matter the other items he had managed, he had failed on the most important one. So he was right to fear for his safety regardless of if he had any control over the situation. Missing his chance with Dr. Isles may very well be his undoing.

Jackson made his way to the visitor check in desk to sign in, present his ID and make the official request to visit Charles. He filled in the name that was listed on the ID he was about to present. _John Abbott._ The man at the desk reviewed the ID and compared the photo to the man standing in front of him.

This was always the part that made Jackson nervous. Not the ID but the scrutiny anyone gave him. This was when he was worried that someone would recognize that he was an Allister. But after a minute the man at the desk handed him back his ID. Jackson tried not to let out a sigh of relief in front of the man.

"You can wait over there. We will call you when the prisoner is ready to receive you," was all he said. A line Jackson was sure he repeated hundreds of times a day to all the individual visitors.

Jackson nodded and complied sitting down to wait. It was all he could do.

R&I

Hagan looked through the psych evaluation for Charles Hoyt as he sat at his desk.

_While subject exhibits characteristics and traits consistent with antisocial personality disorder further testing and analysis would be required to confirm such diagnosis. Subject was found to be deceptive and uncooperative at different times throughout the evaluation process. At other times the subject was insightful, well spoken and came across confident and charming. It is to be noted that his times of insightful reflection seemed to only come when the topic for discussion centered around himself._

_With that, subject exhibits characteristics of narcissistic personality disorder. Subject has an overwhelming need to be recognized as superior in intelligence, station and influence. As stated previously, subject would require further testing and analysis to confirm such diagnosis but during the interactions with the subject there were signs that he fell into an unprincipled narcissist subtype._

_Subject appears to be without conscious, lacks empathy towards others and has no difficulty in subjecting others to pain if it served a higher purpose in which the subject was the beneficiary. Subject is without remorse for the crimes with which he is charged. It should be noted he made no comment on his guilt or innocence. The subject appeared calm and somewhat pleased when the list of charges were reviewed with him._

_Subject gave no indication that he was without a reasonable thought process. He fully understands the charges that are pending against him and it is the opinion of this clinician that the subject possesses the ability to execute rational thought. Subject's ability to differentiate between right and wrong does not appear to be compromised. _

_It is the medical opinion of this clinician that the subject is legally sane for the purposes of the proceedings he will be facing._

A narcissistic, sociopathic serial killer. Not exactly a shock to Hagan. Considered legally sane. Also not exactly a shock to Hagan. The evaluation and its supporting documentation should be enough for Hagan to argue against any attempt Hoyt's lawyer may try in mounting an insanity defense. The evaluation wasn't what had him confused. It was Hoyt's lawyer that Hagan couldn't get a handle on.

First, the lawyer had not filed an intent to change his plea from Not Guilty to Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity. Hagan was unsure as to why he had put Hoyt through the psych evaluations if he simply wasn't going to use information in some manner. Hagan knew the game. He was sure the defense had found a psychiatrist willing to rule that Hoyt was legally insane. But to date there were no motions for a change of plea.

There was, however, a motion that absolutely confused Hagan. He had received notice that Hoyt's lawyer filed a motion for a bench trial and that motion was granted without objections from the State. Sitting at his desk Hagan still did not understand that move. Given the evidence, a jury trial seemed to be Hoyt's only chance. He wasn't sure how or why the lawyer had convinced Hoyt he stood a better chance with a judge than a jury.

He was confused but he would take it. It freed up significant time on his calendar now that he did not have to handle jury selection. The case would start Monday with opening arguments by both sides. He would call his witnesses starting Tuesday. Now the only thing he needed to decide was if he was going to start or end with Dr. Isles. She was the key to the case and everyone knew it. At this point, he was pretty sure he would end with her testimony. Especially now that it was a bench trial.

R&I

Hoyt knew there was a problem when his name was announced as one of the inmates who had a visitor. He didn't have an appointment with his lawyer and there had been no scheduled interactions with any of the people who were on the outside doing his bidding and seeing to his arrangements. Reluctantly, he stepped forward when his name was called and followed the guard towards the visitor area.

Once he was searched and retold all of the rules and notices about recorded conversations and how many minutes he was allowed for the visit, Hoyt was lead into the visitor area. He saw Jackson immediately. And immediately he was angry. A second visit was not in the plans.

Hoyt walked over to the chair and stared at Jackson. He didn't even make a move for the phone receiver. He sat down and just stared at the man across the glass from him. The look of panic and fear that was radiating from Jackson told him everything he needed to know. The kid had screwed something up.

Screwed up something so bad he risked coming to see him. So Hoyt knew it was big. And he had a feeling he knew what it was. The kid had failed to gain access to the medical examiner. The one thing the kid absolutely needed to do for him. Failure. That was the look the kid had on his face. That and fear.

If Hoyt was right, if the kid had failed, there had better be fear not just in his eyes but in his soul. No one. No one failed Hoyt and lived to tell the world about it. Hoyt continued to just stare at the kid across from him. He didn't blink. He didn't look away. He locked onto the kid's eyes and refused to relinquish them. It was a hard, cold, dead stare that would unnerve even the most hardened criminal.

Hoyt tried to have his mind run through what may have happened. No matter the scenario, he found he really didn't care for the details. The reason behind the failure didn't matter. What matter was that the kid failed. A failure that might cost him everything.

Hoyt trusted so few people in life. But he had trusted Jackson. He had spent two years making the kid his protege. He expended countless days and nights showing Jackson the way. Turning the kid into his right hand. His heir apparent. He thought he had found someone he could depend upon but the first chance Jackson was given to truly prove himself he had just failed.

Hoyt still hadn't picked up the phone. He wasn't going to either. He had nothing to say to the boy on the other side of the glass. The fact that he was here said all that needed to be said. That, and the look on the kid's face. Hoyt didn't have the time or the patience for failures.

His hard stare continued and he watched as Jackson's expressions wavered from anxiety, to fear, to confusion, to sadness. All running through the boy. All etched painfully on the face seated across from him. And then there was a moment of clarity. Hoyt saw it in the kid's face.

Resignation.

There would be no conversation that day. There was no need. After a few more minutes of the cold, hard stare Hoyt stood up and walked away leaving the kid to just sit there.

No explanation given. No excuses sought. Hoyt needed to think. All his plans were shot to hell and now he needed a new plan.

And he knew his time had run out.

R&I

The minute Charles was within view Jackson could read the expression on his face. It was worse than he anticipated. He watched Charles slowly approach the booth. It seemed as if the man was walking in slow motion. And then, suddenly, he was sitting down across from him.

It was the stare.

Jackson had never experienced anything like it in his life. The look coming from Charles was menacing enough that it caused his whole body start to tremble. Cold, dead eyes didn't seem to be looking at him. They seemed to be looking through him. Piercing through him.

No one had ever given him a look like that before. Ever. It scared him. And he was already terrified.

And then Charles wouldn't pick up the receiver. He never made a move for it. There would be no conversation. No need to talk in code. No attempt to develop an alternative strategy. In that moment, Jackson understood that Charles was done with him.

He wasn't even allowed the chance to give an explanation. Or maybe it was just an excuse. Either way, it now no longer mattered. Charles wasn't going to listen to anything he had to say. Not now. And he knew not ever.

There was nothing but silence.

And that cold, dead stare.

Then Charles was standing and walking away. As Jackson sat there he became certain of two things. One, Charles wasn't just walking out of the visitor's room. He was walking out of Jackson's life. And two, Jackson Allister III was a dead man when Charles Hoyt escaped from jail.

As Jackson made his way out of the jail and towards his car a third, even more disturbing thought, occurred to him. There was a more than decent chance that he was a dead man even if Charles didn't escape from jail. Jackson understood that there were plenty of people who were under Charles Hoyt's spell. He could name several people willing to kill him in order to please Charles.

Jackson was so wrapped up in his own thoughts as he made his way back to his car that he never noticed the man who stopped and stared at him as he walked across the parking lot. He didn't notice the man continue to stare at him as he got into his car. If he hadn't been in complete fear for his life in that moment, he would have noticed the man with the gym bag continuing to watch him drive away. But as it was, Jackson never noticed a thing.

R&I

"All rise. This Court in now in session. The Honorable Judge Joseph Atkins now presiding."

"In the matter of the State of Massachusetts versus Charles Xavier Hoyt, is the State ready to proceed?"

"Yes, your Honor."

"Is the defense ready to proceed?"

"Yes, your Honor."

"Mr. Hagan, your opening statement."

R&I

Frost sat at his temporary desk in the bullpen. Jane and Korsak were at the courthouse. Both had been scheduled to give testimony in the Hoyt trial later in the day. Frost hadn't been a part of the investigation or the apprehension of the man so he wasn't needed for anything today. As he sat in his chair he thought back to the conversation he had with Jane the day before.

_"Jane, we are up for testimony in the Hoyt trial tomorrow," Korsak said from his desk. Jane had just returned back to work and he wanted to make sure she remembered their court case was tomorrow._

_"I have it on my schedule," Jane acknowledged. "I've blocked out the entire afternoon." She turned to Frost. "Sorry Frost," she said. "We don't have an active case and you're not needed for court. There might not be too much for you to do tomorrow."_

_Frost just shrugged his shoulders. "It's not going to break my heart not to have to give testimony," he said. "Anyway, from what I've heard the DA could just put Dr. Isles on the stand and she should take care of everything for him."_

_"She was pretty impressive on the stand," Jane said with a smile. Frost wasn't exactly wrong about that. She knew that the DA would focus his case around the testimony Maura would deliver and if she was even half as good as she was during the preliminary hearing the DA had nothing to worry about. Compelling was an understatement for Maura's performance._

_"Maybe I'll sit in on the trial. I may not have to testify but I think I'd really like to watch Dr. Isles in action," Frost said. "Plus, how often do we get to see the trial of a serial killer?"_

_"The guy is a psychopath," Jane commented. What Hoyt had done to his victims was just sick. She was glad he was safely behind bars and that he was well on his way to being placed there permanently. "I heard that he went through psych evaluations. Hagan is worried he might be trying to claim insanity now."_

_"I've read the case file," Frost stated. "From what I read, I think anyone could make the argument that the man is insane."_

_Jane looked over to Frost shaking her head. "Don't confuse sanity and psychopathology Frost. The man is sick. But he fully understands what he's doing when he does it. An insanity defense tries to argue that the person doesn't know or understand what they did was wrong. Hoyt knows. He knew exactly what he was doing when he killed all five of those people. It's reprehensible that he took pleasure in the pain he inflicted, but he did. That makes him sick. It makes him dangerous. But it doesn't make him insane."_

Frost was still trying to find his place in Jane's world. He knew his timing was poor given what had happened to her brother. He was worried at first when he went over to her place after finding out about her brother's accident that she would be mad or think he was overstepping his bounds but he felt he had to be there for her and her family. He felt like her partner even if it wasn't official and partners were there for each other. No matter what. So he was glad when she didn't seem to be upset when he walked into her house that night.

He wanted to become her official partner after Korsak retired. He knew both Korsak and Jane would have the final say in the decision. He felt they had a good relationship so far. He was learning a lot from both her and Korsak. As far as he was concerned he was extremely lucky to even be in consideration for a partnership with Jane. Her reputation was stellar in the department and in the short time he had spent with her he was absolutely certain she had earned the respect she had.

He was also learning a lot from Korsak. The man was old school and extremely technology challenged but his basic instincts were excellent. His ability to process a crime scene and see the small details impressed Frost. Korsak had the ability to take a series of seemingly unrelated pieces of evidence and connect them in a way that helped with their cases.

Both Jane and Korsak was excellent interrogators. He had been able to witness both of them in action and he had to admit they were both more impressive in person than what their reputations alluded to. It was a close contest but if Frost had to admit who was better he would have to come down on the side of Jane. But the difference was marginal as far as he was concerned.

He was beyond thankful that both Jane and Korsak looked passed his weak stomach. He was catching hell all over the station for the fact that he frequently threw up at crime scenes. He was trying to stop but it seemed to be a reflex he just couldn't seem to get under control. He could handle the teasing. He could even handle the vomiting. But what he was worried about was looking bad in the eyes of Jane or Korsak. He didn't want to make either feel ashamed that he was her partner. Or potential partner anyway.

Dr. Isles had made him an offer to try to help with his reaction to crime scenes and autopsies. She had called it immersion therapy. He was seriously considering it. He knew he needed to get his stomach under control. He wanted Homicide. He wanted Jane as a partner. He would do whatever he had to do to make sure that happened.

His original plan had been to be in the courtroom to watch the proceedings but he found himself distracted by something that he just needed to look into. It was probably nothing but he had a strange encounter a few days before and still couldn't make any sense of it. And he had learned over the years never to neglect his gut when it was trying to tell him there was something off in a situation. And something was off. He just had absolutely no idea what yet.

_He had been certain he had seen Jackson Allister walking across the visitor's parking lot of the jail. It was the last place he had expected to see an Allister. Frost had been sure that there wasn't a single prisoner who would merit an in-person visit from an Allister. That was why he stopped and stared. He was trying to see if he was just wrong about who it was._

_But he watched the man get into a car. A BMW Z4. It was definitely an Allister. And he was certain it was Jackson Allister. So, curiosity getting the best of him in that moment, when Frost walked into the jail he headed over to the desk guard. Frost's appearance at the jail was a regular occurrence. He helped facilitate a weekly youth intervention group for jailed teens. He, along with a few other officers, tried to interact with some of the younger offenders to integrate positive interactions with law enforcement in the hopes of stopping recidivism rates in the teens. Mostly the interactions were through pickup basketball games but they had found it to be very effective._

_So when Frost strolled over to the desk guard to say hi he was greeted with a quick smile._

_"Hey Barry, what's up?" the guard asked._

_"I'm curious about something. Who was Jackson Allister here visiting?" Frost asked._

_The guard looked at him. "Who?"_

_"Jackson Allister. That kid that just left. Who was he here to see?" Frost answered._

_The guard checked his log. "There's no Allister listed Barry. Are you sure that's who you saw?"_

_Frost was sure it was Allister. Now he couldn't figure out why the guys name wasn't on the visitor log. "I'm positive." He looked around for a second and then back at the guard. "Roll back the tapes."_

_The guard nodded and turned towards the monitor panels that were on his left. This wasn't anything new. Several officers and detectives would ask him to roll back video from time to time. Sometimes for police business. Sometimes to just get a better look at some chick they noticed. After a few minutes the guard found the man Frost had been referring to. "This guy?"_

_Frost looked at the monitor. "Yeah. That's Jackson Allister."_

_The guard looked at the monitor for confirmation. "Not according to the ID the guy gave me. According to his ID that is John Abbott." The guard pointed to the sign in log and Abbott's name._

_Frost looked at the log and saw the name John Abbott. He then looked at who 'John Abbott' was visiting. He was absolutely shocked that it was Charles Hoyt. A fake ID. An Allister visiting a serial killer. There was something not right about the entire situation._

_Frost turned back to the guard. "Oh. My mistake. Sorry," he added._

_"No harm my friend," the guard said._

_Frost stayed talking with the guard for a few more minutes before he headed to the gym for a pickup game. But during the entire game he couldn't shake the feeling he had about seeing Allister and trying to figure out his Hoyt connection. He vowed to look into it further the next morning._

So Frost found himself sitting at his desk two days later still trying to figure out what the Allister/Hoyt connection was. He had called the jail and requested the surveillance and audio of the meeting between the two. It was due to him any time now. As much as he wanted to be at the courthouse watching the trial, there was just something about the Allister situation that unsettled him.

About ten minutes later a flash drive and a note arrived on Frost's desk.

_Detective, here is the camera footage you asked for. However, there appears to be no audio. Neither person ever picked up the receiver during the visit and from what we can see it doesn't appear that either said a word. Personally I find the footage a little disturbing but that could just be me. Let me know if you need anything else._

Frost inserted the flash drive and pulled up footage. Sure enough, neither Allister or Hoyt said a word. But Frost understood immediately what the IT tech meant about disturbing. He had never seen a stare like the one Hoyt was giving Allister. It was haunting. And it clearly scared Allister.

After watching the video, he was no closer to an answer to this mystery but he was still determined to figure out what was going on.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty

"I'm worried," Jane admitted to Maura over coffee that morning. "No one has heard from him since the funeral."

Maura looked across the island at Jane with sympathy. She, too, was growing concerned about the whereabouts of Frank. At first everyone just thought he needed some time alone. But it had been three days and no one had seen or heard from him. "And no one has seen him?"

Jane shook her head. "No one. He's not answering his phone. He's not at the office. Clearly he isn't at Ma's. Frankie checked Tommy's apartment but he wasn't there either." She absentmindedly stirred her coffee. "I had Korsak run his credit cards but there hasn't been any activity on them either. I thought maybe he was just staying at a hotel or something but not one we can find."

She could not get herself to go to Tommy's apartment since his death. She had just figured that her father hadn't wanted to go back there without Tommy either.

"Maura," she said with an edge to her voice. "What if..."

"Jane don't. Don't let your mind play the what if game. It will just drive you crazy. You have a missing person's report out for him. You've checked all the hospitals. I have the lab on the lookout for any John Does that match his description. I don't know where he is but we'll keep looking for him. Ok?" She rounded the island and pulled Jane into an embrace.

"How much more can this family take?" Jane asked trying not to let her mind travel where it kept wanting to travel.

"We'll find him Jane. You just have to believe that," Maura tried to as reassuring as she could be. But it was hard. Frank seemed to have disappeared without a trace.

"This was the last thing Ma needed," Jane said in frustration. Her mother was barely holding it together and the fact that Frank was missing or feared missing was almost more than the woman could take.

Maura tightened her embrace with Jane. She was worried about Angela too. They had Angela over for dinner the night before and Maura was concerned that Angela was on the brink of exhaustion. She clearly hadn't been sleeping but she was refusing to visit her doctor. She said she didn't want to go through the days in a medicated haze.

Neither knew what else to do but wait and hope Frank would return. As much as they both wanted to stick close to Angela they needed to get back to work. They had both been off for over a week but both had things to get back to. The Hoyt trial had started. Jane was set to testify later that afternoon and Maura was scheduled for first thing the next morning.

Jane released Maura from the embrace but stole a quick kiss before letting her go completely. Even with everything going on they had fallen into a very comfortable morning routine. Maura was the earlier riser of the two and would get up first. But she opted to exercise first thing in the morning. Jane liked to sleep as long as possible choosing to get her exercise in at the station in the afternoon or after her shift. But Jane was quicker in the bathroom than Maura and would inevitably be ready to go before the doctor even with being the second to get up.

She had finally figured out how to work Maura's coffee machine so she would get the coffee and breakfast going and it would ready by the time Maura was finally down the stairs and ready to go. But there was always time for them to have a cup of coffee together before heading to wherever they were going.

"I'm going to check out Tommy's place before I head to court," Jane said.

That surprised Maura. Jane hadn't wanted to go there opting to send Frankie on several occasions. "I could go with you," she offered.

Jane smiled. It was a sweet offer but Jane knew it was something she needed to do on her own. "Thanks, but I'll be ok. I need to see if Pop left behind any clue as to where he might be." She knew Frankie had looked around but Jane had the better 'detective' eye and knew she would always wonder if Frankie missed something if she didn't look herself.

"Are you sure?" Maura asked.

Jane simply nodded. "You need to get to back to work. I'm just going to swing by on my way to the courthouse."

"I need to make sure you are ok," Maura said with conviction. As much as Jane was worried about everyone in her family she wasn't really taking any time for herself which was concerning to Maura.

"I'll be ok. And if for some reason I'm not I'll call you. Ok?"

Maura nodded. She understood that was the biggest concession she was going to get from Jane that morning. "I'll keep my phone with me today."

They finished their coffee and then headed out. Maura to the station and Jane over to Tommy's apartment.

R&I

Jackson had been distraught after leaving the jail. The litany of emotions he was going through seemed to keep him on edge. The strongest emotion was fear. It was so strong it was palpable. He had initially returned to his apartment but the minute he was inside paranoia kicked in and he became convinced Hoyt was going to send someone after him.

So he threw a few clothing items into a bag and he retreated to one of the family summer houses. He had a feeling Hoyt knew everything there was to know about the Allister family but he was hoping that whoever was working with Hoyt on the outside wouldn't have access to each property his family owned. He deliberately picked the most secluded home in the area to hide out in hoping that he would simply be overlooked for some time. Time enough to regroup and figure out what to do.

He started carrying a gun. Somewhere along the way he became convinced that it was just a matter of when he would have to use it. Not if. And there was the question of who. Some pawn. Some minion could be asked to come after him. But there was a part of him that thought Charles would want the pleasure of killing him for himself.

When he wasn't letting the fear he felt dictate his movements and actions, Jackson felt deep loss and despair over failing and losing Charles from his life. Charles had become Jackson's whole world. Over the two years Charles had taken him under his wing he had felt alive. He had purpose. He had found what was to be his path in life. Charles was everything to him.

And he had lost that. Now he was lost. Unsure of what to do. Unsure of how to move forward. Just unsure about everything.

At some point during the night on the second day Jackson was in hiding a thought occurred to him. If he could somehow make Charles happy again then Charles would want him back. If he could make Charles happy then he wouldn't want to hurt him anymore. And he knew what would make Charles happy again.

Fixing his failure. His big mistake. One thing would make Charles very happy. It was the only thing Jackson could think of that could fix all of the mess he had caused and get Charles of bring him back into the fold.

The answer was so simple. Why had it taken him two days to figure it all out?

Resolved and renewed with new confidence and spirit, Jackson Allister headed out from his hideout now a man on a mission.

It was time to get Charles what he wanted.

Dr. Maura Isles.

R&I

Charles Hoyt sat expressionless in the courtroom listening to both sides of the courtroom ramble on and on about things that just no longer interested him. Dead people. Victims. Crimes. Justice and retribution. None of it mattered to him at all. He was still reeling from his missed opportunity with Dr. Isles.

This wasn't how all of this was supposed to happen. He wasn't supposed to be just sitting at a table letting inferior beings without a clue as to his true genius dictate the course of his life. He found the proceedings to be demeaning and insulting of his intelligence. Listening to both lawyers attempt to make 'legal' arguments was an exercise in patience and Hoyt just simply didn't have patience anymore.

He was supposed to be getting ready to watch the brilliant medical examiner in action. He had thought the DA would lead with her like he had during the preliminary hearing. Instead, he was stuck listening to simple minded police officers and so called detectives attempt to construct complete thoughts and actual answers to questions. Not one of them had any real measure of intelligence.

All morning he had listened to Boston's 'finest' describe their pathetic attempts at trying to identify him. Locate him. Arrest him. Only one of them even had a clue. She was the one who had caused his premature arrest. Rizzoli. She had been the one who found a print he forgot to get rid of and it was only because of his own mistake that she interceded and kept him from killing the Cordell woman.

He wondered if he would be marginally interested in Rizzoli's testimony. It at least piqued his interest. She never took the stand during the preliminary so he wasn't quite sure what to expect. At least she was something better to look at than old, fat males who seemed to come across as all high and mighty simply because they were cops.

His lawyer said the DA would end the day with Rizzoli's testimony. Hoyt was going to have to wait until the next morning before getting a chance to watch Dr. Isles in action. He had never cared that it was him she was burying with her testimony. That was incidental. He just wanted to be in the presence of someone he felt was equal, or at least close, to his intelligence.

He didn't hold it against the doctor for testifying against him. She spoke the truth. She spoke to the science of what he had done. She didn't pursue the emotional aspect. She pursued facts. He was guilty. Of the murders he stood on trial for now. But there were more. So many more. Oh what people didn't know. Didn't understand about him.

That may be the part bothered him the most about his plans getting blown up by Allister's failure. He was temporarily being deprived of showing Maura his true genius. His skills. His discoveries. His experiments. All of the things he knew only a fellow doctor, a fellow scientist, could truly appreciate. He just knew Dr. Isles would recognize his brilliance with the work his had done to that point and appreciate the scope of the work he was yet to complete.

He had been wrong trying to work through Allister. That was his crucial error. He thought he had trained the kid enough, taught him enough, that mistakes and miscalculations would have been avoided. But in the end that was his mistake. He should have just waited until he was free from the jail to go after Maura on his own. He should have never used an intermediary.

But that was going to be fixed. There would be a new plan. Next time he would handle things himself. He would see to the details personally. He wouldn't be denied his time with the ME. Not when he was sure she would understand him. He would just have to find the patience to strike at a better time. A right time.

He was putting the finishing touches on the details that would result in his escape. He only had to wait. Once this joke of a trial was over and he was finally being sent from the jail to prison. That's when he would make his move. Prisoner transport was always a complicated tactical task to arrange. That would be when he had his opportunity and he would most certainly take it.

R&I

Jane had been parked outside Tommy's apartment building for about fifteen minutes. She hadn't really made a move to get out of the car yet. She hadn't been inside Tommy's apartment since before his death. She was having a hard time even visualizing his place without him anymore. But she really did need to go inside. She thought there was a chance that her father had left behind some idea or clue as to where he had disappeared.

Her phone buzzed an incoming message.

_You are either already on your way to the courthouse or still just sitting in your car. M_

Jane just stared at her phone. It was almost eery how well that woman really knew her.

_I'm not even going to ask you how you know that. I'm still in the car. J_

She expected a text as an answer but her phone rang instead.

"Simple math," Maura didn't even bother to say hello. "You were either going to just go straight into the apartment and do a fast search which should have only taken you roughly twenty minutes given the size and available furniture in the apartment allowing for the possibility of you being on your way to the courthouse or you would still be having concerns about even going inside in the first place which would mean you would still be sitting in your car trying to talk yourself into going inside."

Maura's answer was the picture of pure logic. And Jane oddly loved her for it.

"Nice to know my cowardice can be chalked up to simple math," Jane said half in jest.

"You are not a coward Jane," Maura said in an insistent tone. "You've just suffered a great loss. You are entitled to feel anyway you want. It's perfectly reasonable to have trepidations about going into that apartment."

Hearing that coming from Maura made Jane feel better. "I still need to go inside though," she offered up.

"I can still join you," Maura offered. "It'd only take me a few minutes to get there."

Jane found herself shaking her head into the phone. "No Maura. I can do this. I can," she said in a manner meant to try to convince her she was right.

"Yes, yes you can," Maura agreed. "If you don't want me there in person, I thought I'd offer my phone services to you. I can stay on the line while you go inside if that will help."

Again, the offer was so genuine and sincere it touched Jane deeply. "Remind me to tell you how much I love you later," Jane said and smiled. "Actually, remind me to show you exactly how much I love you later." Her smile got bigger.

"I think I can remember to do that," Maura answered back.

"Ok, you need to get back to work and I need to get out of this car," Jane said now determined to man up and go inside.

"I'm just a call away," was all Maura added.

"I know. And thank you," Jane said as she disconnected the call while getting out of the car.

R&I

She slowly made her way up the stairs to Tommy's apartment. She fished around for the key once she got to the door. She was going to have to go inside sooner or later. The landlord was giving them as much time as they needed to handle Tommy's belongings but neither Frankie or Jane wanted to put that off indefinitely.

She finally found the key and let herself into the apartment. Crossing the threshold and finally being inside was oddly anti-climatic. She hadn't been sure what she was expecting but suddenly being inside she now felt silly having put this off for as long as she had.

She reminded herself why she was there in the first place and she immediately went to work searching the apartment. Within seconds her cop instincts kicked in and she started viewing the apartment like it was a crime scene waiting to be decoded and not just her brother's apartment. She had handled thousands of apartment searches before and she had always found that if a person knew how to let it, an apartment could tell a tale about what had occurred within its walls.

So room by room she started looking for clues. She stopped looking at Tommy's stuff and instead focused in her attention on Frank's belongings. That was the tale that needed to be told. What happened to her father?

The first thing Jane noticed was the overall lack of Frank's personal items. Virtually no clothes except a stray shirt or sock here or there. No toiletry items in the bathroom. Not even a toothbrush. Virtually no sign that Frank had ever stayed there let alone any sign that he had recently been the only occupant.

Jane jumped to one immediate conclusion. Frank had taken all of his stuff and left. When and to where Jane didn't know. But it was clear that Frank wasn't here anymore. She rifled through some papers hoping to see some notes scribbled down or any indication as to where Frank may have gone to. To that end she didn't find anything. She was about to give up the search when she decided to check one last place.

She walked over to the couch and pulled the cushions out a bit. She looked before blindly sticking her hands in between the couch cushions. Her brother hadn't been the tidiest of the three Rizzoli children. On her third exploration of the couch cushions she came up with a cell phone that she knew wasn't her brother's. And it wasn't her father's unless either had suddenly starting decorating their phones with pink, sparkly phone case covers.

Jane looked at the phone. Multiple missed calls and texts. The phone may have been in the couch for some time. But it still had power so not too long. Jane scrolled through the contacts list but didn't recognize any names with the exception of 'Frank' and her father's cell phone number. Seeing this Jane got a bad feeling about who the owner of the phone was. She then scrolled through the texts and finally found one that at least identified the owner by first name.

Karen.

Frank's floozy whore.

Jane grabbed her phone and dialed a number. "Frost, I need a favor. Can you reverse lookup a name and address from a cell phone number for me?"

"Sure," Frost agreed. That was relatively simple. He wrote down the number Jane gave him and pulled up an app on his computer. He typed in the number and within a few seconds he had the information. "Karen Rasmussen," he said. She lives just off Boylston St."

"Thanks. Can you text me that address?" she asked.

"Sending it now," he said. "Need anything else?"

"Not at the moment," she answered. "Thanks."

Jane checked the time. She still had plenty of time before she needed to be at the courthouse. She had the time to return a phone.

R&I

The knock on her door startled her. She hadn't been expecting anyone that morning. The last thing she was in the mood for was some door to door salesman or some religious nut wanting to help her find the Lord. So she was quiet as she walked to her door and looked out the peephole.

She swallowed hard when she saw who it was. Frank's daughter. Frank's cop daughter. She wasn't going to open the door.

"Karen Rasmussen," Jane said loud but not too loud yet. "Boston police. Open up."

Karen stood at the door not sure what she should do. She could just wait for Jane to leave.

"Karen, I know you are in there. I see the shadow from your feet under the door." It was a cop instinct to watch for shadows on the ground to help indicate a person was on the other side of the door. "Look, I have your phone. I just want to return it to you." She wanted to talk too but she would cover that after she got the woman to open the door.

"Are you armed?" she asked. It was probably a stupid question but she was sure Jane was furious and the woman was a cop.

"Yes," Jane answered honestly. "I'm a detective. But I'm not going to pull out my gun. Please. Just open the door."

Karen put the chain up and opened the door just enough to say it was open. "What do you want?" she asked.

Jane waved her phone at her. "I told you. I found your phone and I want to return it."

Karen didn't completely believe her. "Slide it through the crack," she said.

"No," Jane replied. "I have a few questions I need to ask you first."

"I'm not discussing your father with you," she said dismissively.

"Trust me, that's the last thing I need. I don't even want to think about what the two of you did or do or will do. What I need to know is if you know where he is. We haven't been able to find him for the last three days and we are just worried about him." She was proud of how calm she had remained. She needed answers and knew the minute she raised her voice the door would close and she wasn't prepared to explain to Cavanaugh why she kicked in a door of her father's floozy.

"I don't know where he is," she answered. "I haven't seen him since the night of your brother's funeral." She felt bad about even mentioning that to Jane. She really wasn't trying to hurt any of Frank's family. The situation had just gotten out of hand.

"That makes you the last person to see him," Jane said. "Please. I really do need to ask you some questions. We have a missing person's report open on him."

Karen sighed and against her gut instinct she relented and opened the door allowing Jane to enter into the apartment.

"Thank you," Jane said handing Karen her phone.

"Where was it?" she asked.

"Couch cushion," Jane said assuming the woman would understand the couch at Tommy's.

Karen nodded. "It must have fallen down that night," she said absentmindedly. Realizing what she said she looked up. "I'm sorry. I never meant for any of this to happen. I hadn't planned on anything happening that night. Honest."

Jane wasn't exactly sure what the woman was talking about but she was talking and Jane was an expert at getting people to think she knew more than what she did. "What exactly were you expecting to happen when you ended up at my brother's apartment with him?" she asked. It wasn't a stretch to assume that much. Clearly the woman felt bad about something, the phone ended up in the couch and Jane doubted she had stopped by to see Tommy.

"I thought he was going to break it off with me," she admitted. "I thought he was going to tell me he was going back to his wife." It took a minute for her to realized Frank's wife was Jane's mother. She was suddenly nervous again.

Jane took another calculated leap. "Instead, you two end up screwing each other," she said as if she knew it for a fact.

"I don't know how it happened. We were talking and then one thing lead to another." She couldn't really defend what she had done.

"Did it bother you at all that he was married?" she asked trying to hide her anger.

"I don't think it's in my best interest to answer that," she said.

"You said you saw him the night of Tommy's funeral. What time?" she said letting her off the hook about being a whore so she could get some answers about her father.

"He came over at about 1 am," she said. When Jane raised an eyebrow she felt she should explain. "He was upset. I'd honestly never seen anyone as upset as he was. He kept saying the same things over and over and I couldn't get him to stop. And then he left. He wasn't here for more than fifteen minutes." She suddenly needed Jane to understand that she hadn't slept with Frank that night.

That didn't make much sense to Jane so she asked, "What was he saying over and over?"

"It didn't make much sense to me but he kept mumbling two things. He kept saying 'my fault' and 'he saw' but I honestly couldn't get Frank to explain anything. And then he just left."

Jane thought that through. What was his fault? Saw what? She looked at Karen again and suddenly it hit her.

Oh God!

"Karen, when exactly was it that you left that phone at the apartment?" Jane asked trying to stay calm enough not to scare the woman into not answering.

She thought for a minute, "It would have been last Friday night," she answered.

That was the night Tommy died.

_My fault. He saw._

Oh no!


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter Twenty One

Jackson parked his BMW in the station parking garage. His internship had given him access to the police parking garage. That was definitely going to work out in his favor for what he was about to do. He was going to need the access if he was going to fix his failure and get Charles to like him again.

He could do this. It would be simple. He would just get Dr. Isles and then take her to Charles. They could then escape from the jail together. They would have Dr. Isles and that would make Charles happy. Then he would be forgiven and they could head to their hideout. It was all prepared and ready for them. It would be perfect.

Things would go back to normal. Things would continue as planned and as they were meant to be. All he had to do was to get Dr. Isles to Charles. He could do that. He would do that. He wouldn't fail a second time. No way. Not a second time.

He got out of the car and made sure that his shirt covered the gun. He was going to use the freight elevator and enter into the morgue through the ambulance bay. They were both unguarded and he was sure he could get in and out undetected. He headed over to the elevator and waited for it to arrive. He was remarkably calm considering what he was about to do. To him it was a sign that he was doing what he should be doing. What was right.

He got into the elevator and rode down to the morgue. He went unnoticed. So far so good. The elevator stopped in the basement and Jackson got out. He walked around and headed for the ambulance bay. He looked around and didn't see anyone so he continued and headed into the lab. To his disappointment, the lab was empty. He was hoping he would find Dr. Isles right away.

Her office. He needed to check for her in her office. He casually walked across the hall and was optimistic when he saw her door open and the light on. That was a good sign. That meant she was at least in the building. He approached the door and couldn't help the smile on his face. She was in her office. At her desk. This was perfect.

He took one last deep breath and then entered Maura's office without knocking.

R&I

"Dr. Isles?" Jackson announced.

Maura was a little surprised the intern entered without knocking. "Mr. Allister," she said. "It's customary to knock before entering someone's office."

"Under normal circumstances I would agree with you," he said rather politely.

Maura couldn't help but notice the odd tone to his voice. It unsettled her. She looked up and really took a look at the young man. He seemed fixated on her. "And what exactly makes this an unusual circumstance?" she asked.

To answer that question Jackson pulled the gun from the small of his back and pointed it at Maura. Her eyes grew big but that was her only overt reaction. "I'm sorry Dr. Isles. But I need you to come with me." He delivered the demand in a smooth, solid tone.

Maura forced herself to stay calm even though her mind was racing. She knew that for the moment the situation and the threat was contained to her office. She didn't want any sudden reactions or movements to startle the man and cause him to just open fire. There were people in the lab across the hall. People she didn't want to put in danger. As calmly as she could Maura spoke. "Where are we going?"

She had been sitting at her desk with one hand resting on her knee when Jackson had entered her office. She realized quickly that from where he was standing he was unable to see what her hidden hand was doing. She also understood she could move her hand around without drawing attention to any movements if she moved slow enough. So Maura slowly started to move her hand into her lab coat pocket without making any exaggerated movements. Her cell phone was in the pocket she was trying to reach.

"We need to leave here," he answered staying focused on her.

Maura tried to lock his eyes in with hers so he wouldn't notice her fishing around for her phone. "I understand that you want us to leave here but I was asking where we would be going," she asked still trying to keep him talking and looking at her as she worked for her phone.

Her hand found her phone. She let her fingers run across the phone to get a feel for the keypad she was now visualizing in her mind. The last call she had made was to Jane. That would be perfect. If she could manage to hit the correct sequence of buttons on the phone she would be able to redial Jane. She used one finger to tap what she hoped was the right buttons to make that call.

"I'll explain everything on the way," he said. "We really need to go now otherwise someone might see us and I don't want to have to hurt anyone." He took a step towards Maura and she quickly pushed back her chair removing her hand from her pocket. She hadn't wanted to call any attention to her lab coat pocket and she had to hope she had dialed the right sequence that a call was ringing through to Jane.

"I'll come," she said in a steady voice. "No one needs to get hurt here. You need to put that gun away." She doubted he would but it was worth a shot.

"Sorry Dr. Isles but this is the only way I know for sure I can get you to where we need to go," he said and he approached her desk.

Maura had no choice so she slowly stood up and moved to the front side of her desk. "I will come with you Jackson. I'd prefer it if you put down the gun. I don't want anyone to accidentally get hurt." She didn't want to go but she didn't want anyone on her staff to get hurt either. So she had to hope she had reached Jane and Jane could hear what was going on.

With the gun hidden but pointed at Maura, they both headed out of her office and towards the parking garage.

R&I

Jane had just walked away from Karen when she pieced together what must have happened. It was either walk away or get thrown in jail for killing her father's girlfriend. Her head was spinning and she couldn't seem to focus on anything. She wasn't sure how she found her car but she had. She wasn't even sure how she managed to start driving but she had.

She was vaguely aware that she was due at the courthouse to testify. The reality of what she pieced together about her father and Tommy was more than she could completely process in that moment. She felt her mind starting to shut down and block out things she didn't want to be thinking about. Somewhere on the walk back to her car pure instinct kicked in and took over. She didn't fight any of her body movements as they seemed to know what to do and where to go.

Before she knew it she had pulled into the parking lot at the courthouse reserved for law enforcement and city officials. And then the car was parked and she was turning off the ignition. It took the sound of her phone ringing to fully snap her out of her haze. Looking down to see it was Maura she was relieved and had never needed to hear the sound of a voice so badly in her life. She answered.

"Maura, you aren't going to..." but she didn't finish her sentence. She heard something and stopped to listen. It was fuzzy and sounded barely audible. Jane suddenly wondered if Maura had accidently pocket dialed her.

Until she heard Maura talk.

_"Jackson, where exactly are you taking me?"_

What? Jackson? Jackson Allister? Why would Maura be going anywhere with an intern? She listened harder turning up the volume on the phone as loud as she could.

_"I've told you. I'll explain as we drive."_

_"I'm coming with you. I've told you that. So I am going to ask you again. Please put the gun away."_

Gun?

Oh God!

R&I

Jane's cop instincts kicked in immediately. She threw the phone on speaker and muted the line so she could hear what was going on without worrying about extra noise being heard on Maura's end. Jane was sure Maura had managed to dial out to Jane's phone without Allister knowing her phone line was open. She wasn't going to do anything to lose the only connection she now had with Maura.

She took off in a full sprint into the courthouse. She needed another phone. She needed to call Frost to trace Maura's cell phone signal. Maybe Maura was still at the station and Frost could get help to her. She knew Korsak was inside the courthouse. She needed to find him and they would work this together. Jane was in the building flashing her badge at security in a matter of seconds, hollering about a police emergency and sprinting to the second floor waiting area reserved for officers.

She spotted Vince in seconds.

"Vince!" she shouted getting his attention.

He snapped to attention knowing something was terribly wrong simply by Jane's demeanor. "Jane?"

"Allister has Maura. He's kidnapping her at gunpoint." She didn't stop running until she was within inches of Vince. When she finally stopped she extended the phone out like it would magically explain everything that was going on.

"What?" he asked completely confused.

"Listen!" Jane exclaimed still extending the phone in her hand out like that explained everything. "I need your phone! I need Frost to trace Maura's cell phone. It's an open connection. Please just listen," she said.

By now the entire room of officers and detectives was looking Jane. As Jane pleaded with Vince for his phone and to listen, the room went dead silent. Everyone in that room tried to listen to the phone in the detective's hand.

_"I need to take you to him."_

_"Who? Take me to whom?"_

_"Charles. I need to take you to Charles. If I get you to Charles he will forgive me."_

_"Charles? Charles who?"_

When there wasn't an immediate answer Jane looked at Korsak who had already pulled out his cell and was dialing Frost.

"Frost we have an emergency. I need you to trace Maura's cell phone. She's on an active call with Jane. Frost, Someone has her. At gunpoint." Vince didn't understand everything that was happening but he understood enough to know Maura was in trouble.

"What?" Frost exclaimed as he was swiftly opening up applications and trying to start tracing software. "She was just downstairs fifteen minutes ago. Who the hell took her?"

Korsak turned to Jane. "Who has her?" he asked. She had said Allister earlier but Vince had no idea who that was.

"Jackson Allister," Jane said to Vince.

"Jackson Allister," Vince repeated to Frost.

"Oh God. He's an intern here. Has he said where they are going?"

"Not yet. That's why we need the trace. And I need you to let Cavanaugh know. He will notify and coordinate with SWAT if we can get a location."

_"Jackson, can you please tell me where we are going? I won't be as frightened if I know where you are taking me."_

_"I've told you. We are going to Charles."_

"Who the hell is Charles?" a detective shouted out from across the room.

But Frost heard it. "Korsak?"

"Yeah?"

"Did Jackson just say Charles?"

"Yeah..."

"Shit."

"What?!"

"Hoyt. He's taking her to Hoyt. Vince, Jackson Allister has visited Hoyt in jail. Just three days ago."

Korsak turned to look at Jane. "Frost says Allister visited Hoyt in jail three days ago. The Charles he keeps saying could be Charles Hoyt."

Jane took Korsak's phone from him to speak to Frost. "Frost, trace her cell! I need to know where she is. We have to find her."

"I'm on it Jane. I need thirty more seconds to lock in on her signal," he said and then she heard him shout out for Cavanaugh. In fact he screamed for Cavanaugh. Jane hadn't heard him sound so authoritative before.

"I've got her Jane. She's moving. Looks like she's heading north on Tremont Street towards Government Center. They could be heading to the courthouse for Hoyt."

"Frost, Vince and I are at the courthouse now. She could be heading right to us. Stay on her! Don't lose that trace."

_"Charles? Do you mean Charles Hoyt?"_

_"You are as smart as Charles thinks you are. He likes you. He really likes you. You're my gift to him. He will forgive me now that I'm bringing you to him."_

Jane spoke into the phone. "Ok, she got confirmation. It is Charles Hoyt. Frost, where is Cavanaugh on SWAT?"

"He's mobilizing them Jane but it's going to take some time."

"Get unmarked units on that car! I want eyes on that vehicle Frost but no uniform is to get close. I can't have Allister get nervous and start shooting. He doesn't know we are tracking him. Do not tip our hand."

"Jane," came Cavanaugh, "SWAT is mobilizing but we are twenty minutes out."

"Sir," Jane started, "they're headed here. We may not have twenty minutes to wait for SWAT."

Jane felt utterly helpless in that moment. She wanted to get to Maura. She was fighting her desire to go run for her car to chase down Allister herself. But she understood that they possessed a tactical advantage in knowing Allister's finally destination.

"What are you thinking Jane?" Cavanaugh asked.

"He doesn't know we are tracking them. He doesn't know we know he is coming." She took a breath. "Sir, we can't wait for SWAT. Send them. We may need them if there is a stand-off. But I'd like your permission to run point from here."

"Jane..." Cavanaugh started.

"Sir, there are enough officers here to start an emergency evacuation of the courthouse. I'm asking permission to attempt to evacuate the building, ensure we lockdown Hoyt and I'm asking for permission to try to stop Allister before he can get Maura into the courthouse."

She knew it was a lot to ask from Cavanaugh. But they were out of time and out of reasonable options. Allister was coming. He was armed and he wanted to get to Hoyt. Jane wanted to save Maura. She needed to stop Allister before he entered the courthouse.

"Do it," was all Cavanaugh said. "SWAT is heading out. We have eyes on Allister's car. I'll keep the uniforms away from the vehicle. Jane, get everyone out of that building. Don't let Allister inside and we will back you up as quickly as we can."

"I need to talk to Frost," Jane said. Within a few seconds she heard Frost's voice. "Where is she?"

"Still heading north on Tremont. They are just passing Stuart. They are getting closer."

"Frost, stay on her. I need you to stay on her signal. I have to know if they make a move that looks like they aren't coming here. Can you do that for me?"

"I won't let her out of my sight Jane."

R&I

Jane pulled the phone away and turned to address the room full of law enforcement officers. All of whom were standing up and ready to receive any directions needed to help with the situation.

Jane spoke to the officers in the room. "Alright, we have a potentially dangerous situation here. Our suspect is Jackson Allister. He is armed and has taken our Chief Medical Examiner hostage. Allister appears to be seeking out Charles Hoyt who is in this building in courtroom 3B. We believe Allister is headed there.

"Until SWAT arrives, it will be up to all of us to try to keep this situation from escalating. Very, very quietly I need you all to start emergency evacuation procedures for this courthouse. We need to get people out of this building in case Allister makes it inside. Also, I need at least two of you to get Hoyt secured. As of right now we have no idea if Hoyt knows Allister is headed here. They could easily be working together. We need Hoyt locked down and out of play ASAP.

"I also need four volunteers to help myself and Detective Korsak outside. I want to stop Allister from entering this building and get Dr. Isles out of harms way. I will need several people to help with the perimeter outside."

Without more than that. Without debate. Without hesitation a room full of Boston's finest all sprung into action. Jane instantly had four volunteers for the parking lot assignment. Three detectives offered to personally detain and secure Hoyt. And the rest of the officers, detectives, bailiffs and several lawyers went about an attempt to quietly evacuate the courthouse.

R&I

Jane divided up the four volunteers into teams of two. She and Korsak were staying together. "We are heading outside. I want you all out of sight. Do not let him see you. We can triangulate our positions when we get outside."

The four detectives and Korsak just nodded. All six turned and headed for the parking lot. Jane turned her attention back to Frost who was still on Korsak's phone.

"Frost?" Jane said.

"I've got her Jane. They are just passing Winter Street."

The six quickened their pace wanting to get outside and in position as quickly as possible. Within a few seconds they were out in front of the courthouse. A detective came jogging up to Jane. He handed her three radios.

"Hoyt is secure. He's being removed from the building and is being guarded by four men. We are going room by room on each floor clearing what we can. Everyone is being escorted out through the back exits and taken over to the Saltonstall Building until the situation is resolved."

_"Why does Hoyt want me?"_

_"You are the first person he has ever found who is as brilliant as he is. He said he finally found an equal in you. He thinks you will be able to appreciate the gifts he is trying to provide for the world with his medical genius."_

Maura was doing an excellent job trying to keep Allister talking. If nothing else Jane was getting a chance to hear Maura's voice and that made her feel at least like she had some idea that Maura was still ok.

Jane handed each team a radio. "No one shoots unless I give the go ahead," Jane insisted.

_"What medical genius?"_

_"He's done all of these experiments. All of these tests. You should see him work. He's truly gifted."_

Jane looked at each detective standing in front of her. She only had one thing to add. "That lady he has is the woman I love. No shots unless there is absolutely no other choice. Please. She's everything to me."

Each detective nodded. No further explanation was needed. The teams headed out into the lot to get into position but stay out of sight.

_"Jackson, why are you doing this?"_

_"He's mad at me. I have to get him to forgive me."_

_"Why is he mad at you?"_

_"I failed him."_

Jane and Korsak moved into their spot and stared towards the direction Allister's car would appear. Jane deliberately took the spot she thought would give the first and best shot at Allister. She found a good vantage point for what she needed to do. She wasn't going to shoot to go after Allister. She was going to shoot to save Maura.

"Frost?"

"Any second now Jane. He's turning onto Beacon."

"Stay on her. I don't want any surprises," she said.

They were all in position in the parking lot when Jackson Allister's BMW turned into the courthouse lot.

R&I

The three teams had triangulated their positions but Jane really was going to be the one in the best position to take a shot. Plus, she was sure neither of the other two teams would shot before Jane fired or asked them to take a shot.

"Frost?"

"Any second now Jane. They look to be pulling in right now. SWAT is six minutes out. Cavanaugh and more backup is three minutes out."

Jane and Korsak saw the BMW enter the lot. Frost had been right. He hadn't been driving erratically or with haste. He seemed to very casually pull into a parking place.

_"We are going to walk into the entrance together. You will stay just in front of me. If you run I will shoot you."_

_"There are metal detectors at the front doors."_

_"Let me worry about that. Do not run. Do not ask for help. Do not call attention to yourself. Understood?"_

_"I understand."_

Jane and Korsak watched as the car was turned off and both car doors opened. Jane pulled out her gun and took aim at Allister but the distance was too great for her to be confident the bullet would hit its target. She wasn't going to shoot unless she was certain she could hit Allister and not endanger Maura.

"I don't have a shot yet," she told Korsak. Of the two, Jane was the better shot. Hands down. Korsak fully understood if the shot was coming from their team it was coming from Jane's gun.

"Patience Jane. We have surprise on our side here. He doesn't know that we know what's going on. Don't waste that. Let him get closer or even parallel. We may get a decent shot from behind which would help take Maura out of the line of fire."

"Frost."

"Yeah?"

"Everyone...and I mean everyone rolls silent!" They weren't going to lose their surprise because of flashing lights and sirens.

"Got it! Consider it done."

R&I

Jane nodded to Korsak and then tuned everything out. Frost. Korsak. The phone. The radio. The traffic. The birds chirping. Even the wind. She tuned it all out and gave all of her focus to training her gun on Jackson Allister. She was determined to end this before they got to the front entrance. She just needed the shot.

Slow breath in. Slow breath out. Slow breath in. Slow breath out. In. Out. In. Out.

Maura walked a calm, slow pace. Jackson was about ten inches behind Maura and staggered slightly to her right. Slowly they were making their way towards the front entrance.

Not one member of the detective teams could be seen. It was an impressive feat.

Jane concentrated on the task in front of her. She trained her gun on the man walking towards them and she waited. Seconds ticked slowly. She couldn't look at Maura. She couldn't if she was going to do what she knew she was about to do. She was aware of Maura's presence but that was all she would allow herself to register. She needed to concentrate on Jackson Allister.

Slow breath in. Slow breath out. Slow breath in. Slow breath out. In. Out. In. Out.

And then finally. An opening. A chance.

Jane released one final breath and squeezed the trigger.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter Twenty Two

Jane's eyes snapped open. She was surrounded by darkness and the only thing she heard was the labored breaths she slowly realized were coming from her. She forcibly squeezed her eyes shut closing them tightly holding them closed for a moment. She then let them slowly open again. The room was still just as dark but she was slowly adjusting to the darkness. She could at least start to make out different shades of black throughout the room.

She listened again to her labored breathing and tried to tell herself to slow it down. To steady it. She forced herself to take in a slow, deliberate breath in. After holding it for a moment she just as slowly let it out trying to get her respirations in check. She came to realize she was damp and clammy from a cold sweat. And she was trembling. Labored breath, shaking, and sweaty. She was an absolute mess.

The room was going from a solid black to a lighter shade of black with some gray mixed in as her eyes continued to adjust. She wanted desperately to get a sense of her true surroundings. She finally felt like she was awake enough to attempt to sit up. She pulled herself up into an upright seated position and brought her hands to her face to wipe the remaining sweat away from her forehead and rub the sleep out of her eyes.

That's when she felt it.

And she was instantly completely confused. She slowly took the thumb and forefinger of her right hand and let them travel across the palm of her left hand.

It was there.

But how could it be there?

She switched thumb and forefingers and found the matching scar on her right palm as well.

What the hell?

A dream. It had all been a dream.

And then suddenly it really hit her. It was a dream.

She desperately felt around for the light switch on the night stand.

3:24 am.

She didn't care.

She had to check.

She had to know.

She grabbed her phone from the nightstand and dialed the number.

She had to know for sure.

R&I

_Ring_

_Ring_

_Ring_

"Come on...please," Jane spoke out desperately into the empty room.

"Uhhhhhh...lo?" came a completely asleep, disoriented voice.

A voice so sweet Jane didn't even try to stop the tears now starting to trickle down her cheeks. A voice that even draped in sleep was the best sound Jane could remember hearing. She didn't say anything. She really didn't need to. She had just needed to hear that voice. It had all been a dream.

"Go back to sleep Tommy," Jane whispered. She held her cellphone up to her ear with one hand and she held her other hand out in front of her so she could stare at the scar again trying to make sure it was really there.

"Kay...huh?" he was slowly coming around.

"Go back to sleep little brother," Jane said softly.

"Janie?" voice recognition was kicking in.

"Yeah, seriously. Go back to sleep Tommy. I was just checking something."

"To see if you are crazy?" he asked now utterly confused.

"Something very close. Good night," she said.

"Night."

"Tommy?"

"Huh?"

"I love you."

"Ok."

He was already falling back asleep and that was perfectly alright with Jane. She hung up the phone and let herself cry the rest of the tears that had been threatening to fall since Tommy had answered his phone.

R&I

A few minutes later Jane still sat in bed trying to figure out what the hell had happened and what had caused her dream. Her mind was racing trying to figure out what pieces of images flooding through her mind were real and what pieces were just a dream. It was alarmingly disconcerting. Her normal nightmares scared her but she knew immediately she was ok and what was real and what wasn't as soon as she woke up.

This was different. She was struggling to figure out what parts of her life were real and which had been part of this dream. A vivid, powerful dream that had managed to shake Jane to her very core.

That's when she remembered what may have caused the dream in the first place.

The Dirty Robber.

A simple, innocent conversation at the Dirty Robber with Korsak and Frost.

_"Come on Korsak you know that's totally his do over moment," Frost insisted._

_"Do over moment?" Korsak asked now a little confused._

_"You know, that moment. That thing from your past that you would do over if you were given a chance. You know that Buckner would totally redo the '86 Game Six and that ground ball."_

_Korsak couldn't really argue that the desire would have been there. Frost was probably right about Buckner. But life didn't work that way. "No one gets to redo their past Frost. Billy Boy is forever stuck with that ball squeaking through his legs. No matter how painful it is to Red Sox nation even to this day."_

_"True," Frost conceded. "But that does make for an interesting question though."_

_"What question? If Buckner regrets misplaying that ball? That's a no brainer," Jane chimed in._

_"No not Buckner. Just in general. It makes an interesting question about life in general. You know. The whole 'if you could change one thing in your life what would it be?' question. I think everyone has at least one moment."_

_"Really?" Jane asked._

_"Really. Korsak, I bet you do don't you?" Frost asked._

_Vince snickered. "I have three ex-wives. Talk about a no brainer. Of course I have at least one."_

_The three laughed but didn't force Vince to name the ex-Mrs. Korsak he probably wished he hadn't married. Or maybe it was the ex-Mrs. Korsak he wished wasn't an ex at all. Either way Jane and Frost didn't ask for specifics._

_"I have one for sure. Maybe two," Frost admitted. Again, neither Jane nor Vince asked specifically. But Jane wondered if it had anything to do with Frost and his relationship with his father._

_"Jane?" Vince asked._

_Jane didn't say anything for a minute but she did look down at her hands. Both men caught the look. "Everyone has at least one moment," was all she said before she made her way to the bar to get another round for them all. _

_By the time she returned the guys had moved on from '86 and all its misery to '04 and all of its Boston glory._

R&I

Clearly the conversation stuck with her and followed her all the way into her subconscious. She had been awake now for about twenty minutes and she was still a little shaky from the dream. It was becoming easier for her to recall details of how things transpired in her dream. And for the second time that night, things just hit her.

Maura.

And not Maura in the sense that she needed to check on her safety. She was awake enough to know that Maura was physically fine and hadn't been held at gunpoint and Jane hadn't needed to shoot at a man who was holding a gun to her.

That part she understood.

What hit her, and hit her hard, was the relationship. She had been in love with Maura in that dream. Deeply in love with her. Maura had felt the same way. They were together in that dream. Very, very together. And it had been incredible. It had felt so right.

Now her head was spinning again.

What in the hell did all of this mean?

She looked over at her clock again.

3:54 am.

There was no way she was getting back to sleep now.

She sat resting her back against her headboard absentmindedly scratching the back of Jo's head. Looking down at the peacefully sleeping dog she was suddenly jealous that Jo didn't seem to have a care in the world. Sleep seemed to find her dog so easily.

Maura.

She wasn't prepared for the feelings that were now overwhelming her. All of them so familiar but yet so foreign at the same time.

4:07 am.

Then she decided and was out of bed in a flash.

R&I

Maura was starting to wake up just before her alarm was set to go off. That didn't surprise her. She had a pretty stable internal clock and she was pretty sure she could get away without setting an alarm and she wouldn't oversleep. She always considered her alarm as a provisional measure. She rolled and stretched trying to work out all the kinks in her body when she was suddenly aware of a sweet aroma drifting through her room.

Coffee.

She looked at the clock. 5:12 am. It was a bit early for Angela to be awake and down in her kitchen but the smell of coffee put Maura in a very forgiving mood. Bless that woman for starting the coffee already. Maura got up and headed for the bathroom. She would take a quick shower before heading downstairs to chat with Angela for a few minutes. That had been their morning routine. Only usually not at 5:15 in the morning.

Maura didn't linger in the shower long. As she let the water works it magic on waking her up she started to get worried about Angela's early arrival that morning. Normally Angela wandered over around 6:30 am. She was now hoping that nothing was wrong.

She in no way had been expecting to see who she found in her kitchen. Jane. It hadn't been Angela who had started the coffee. It had been Jane. Jane who was sitting on a stool at her kitchen island. Jane who was leaning onto her elbows just staring off into space.

"Jane?" Maura asked as she walked into the kitchen. Now she was worried. Jane was never up at this hour without some sort of bodily threat.

Jane blinked and turned her head towards Maura. "Morning," she acknowledged but in a tone that only added to Maura's confusion of finding her best friend in her kitchen before 6 am.

"Jane, don't take this the wrong way but what are you doing here?" she couldn't help but ask.

Jane straightened up in the stool and looked over at Maura. Even after over an hour of trying to straighten out everything that was swirling through her mind, she had no clearer idea about what she was doing at Maura's house than she did when she grabbed her car keys to drive over.

"Do you want some coffee?" Jane asked. In truth she was stalling for time.

Maura just looked at Jane her concern growing. She recognized immediately that Jane was avoiding the question. Somewhat typical for Jane. What had been atypical was the in person early morning visit.

When Maura didn't answer Jane got up and poured her a cup carrying it over to her. "Here. I hope I didn't wake you. I was trying to be quiet."

"You didn't wake me," Maura assured her as she accepted the coffee. Jane then returned to sitting on the stool and seemed to get lost in her thoughts while staring at her palm which she was rubbing circles around the scar. An action Maura knew she only did when something was bothering her.

She had no idea what was going on in the mind of her best friend. She did know Jane though. And she knew the woman would only talk when she was ready to talk. So Maura knew pushing for a conversation wasn't going to get her to the heart of whatever was clearly bothering Jane any quicker.

When Jane didn't start talking Maura took her coffee and announced she was going to finish getting cleaned up. "I'll be back down in a little while. The paper should be here by now," she added and made her way back up the stairs.

Whatever was going on with her Maura knew it was big. And she knew Jane just wasn't quite ready to talk about it yet.

R&I

Maura finished getting ready and had to admit it was one of the fastest morning prep routines she had ever achieved. She was worried about Jane and wanted to return downstairs as quickly as she could. She was hoping Jane was open to talking by the time she got downstairs. She would press Jane for some answers if she had to but she usually tried to take things at Jane's pace.

She found Jane exactly where she left her. At the kitchen island. Standing and leaning this time not sitting. "No paper?" she asked when she didn't see it or the expected Sport Section out in front of Jane.

"Oh, I never looked for it," Jane admitted.

"Ok, please tell me what's wrong," she said looking at her friend. She still couldn't decipher the look on Jane's face.

Jane looked at Maura and tried to figure out the best way to start this conversation. "Not counting actual nightmares, have you ever had a dream that just seemed to completely shake up your sense of reality?"

So Jane had some sort of dream, Maura noted. It wasn't unusual for Jane to have nightmares. But it sounded like she wasn't talking about nightmares.

"I've had a few that have left me a little disoriented when I first woke up," she answered. "What was your dream about?"

"Changing my past," she said without much more of an explanation.

"Do you want to change your past?" Maura asked.

Almost instantaneously Jane announced, "No."

The immediacy of her answered startled Maura. What had Jane's dream been about? None of this conversation was making much sense to her. "No?"

Jane shook her head. "I think...I think I want to change my future," she said looking up and staring right into Maura's eyes.

The intensity of the look shook Maura to her core. There was a look on Jane's face she hadn't seen before. It seemed to make her knees weaken.

"Jane? What's going on?" Maura tried again to make sense of what Jane was trying to say. "Are you okay?"

Jane didn't answer. Instead she pushed herself away from the island and moved quickly and swiftly to suddenly appear right in front of Maura. Maura didn't seem to expect Jane to move that quickly or move to that position. Her understanding of all that was occurring in that kitchen in that moment seemed to be just a little bit slow.

She was just a half a second delayed.

Delayed in reacting to Jane's close proximity.

Delayed in realizing Jane was leaning in towards her.

Delayed in grasping that Jane's lips were suddenly on hers.

Delayed in feeling her own body respond to an unexpected but certainly not unwanted kiss from the woman in front of her. A woman she had always had strong feelings for.

Delayed in feeling Jane's strong arms wrapping themselves around her body.

Delayed in appreciating the warmth she found as her arms did their part in completing the embrace now existing between the two.

Delayed in understanding that their relationship, their future, had just taken a turn in a most welcomed, wonderful direction.

Delayed.

But she would catch up.

Neither seemed too worried about that for the moment. Both too busy trying to make their first kiss last a lifetime.

**A/N I know I usually give you guys warning when a story is about to end but given how I was going to end this particular story there was just no way to do that without giving away that ending. **

**At the beginning of the story I promised to explain my stance on the 'if only' theme for this story once we came to the end. You may have even figured that out by now.**

**Everyone has something from their past they think about changing. Wishing it did or didn't happen. But, while I have no issues 'thinking' about 'if only' I'm a firm believer in never actually wanting to change an event from the past.**

**Even the bad ones.**

**Who a person is comes directly from all of the experiences she/he accumulate in their lifetime. The good and the bad. I have always held to a belief that to go back and alter even one thing in the past puts everything in the present at risk. **

**And even if I don't necessarily like absolutely everything about or in my life, there are enough pieces that I cherish that I could never, ever run the risk of losing those.**

**Cause and effect. The inevitable ripple of change. To change even one thing puts it all at risk. And maybe some things would be better. But at what price? I've never wanted to find that out.**

**You can't change the past. But you certainly have the ability to shape the future. If you dare to be brave.**

**The support for this story has been amazing. I am humbled by and appreciative of all the kind words from all of you. So I thank you.**

**Until next time...**


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